Incommunicado
by PixieGirl13
Summary: Sequel to Powerless: Full Summary Inside: Another horrible summer is in Danny's future as he's forced to stay at Vlad Master's mansion for two weeks. Things seem to get worse when Vlad takes Danny all the way to Ecuador this time to visit an uncle, but
1. Chapter 1 Into the Shark Tank I Go!

Full Summary: Another horrible summer is in Danny's future as he's forced to stay at Vlad Master's mansion for two weeks. Things seem to get worse when Vlad takes Danny all the way to Ecuador this time to visit an uncle, but nothing is as it seems. Danny's given plenty of freedom, Vlad's uncle is a likable guy, and Vlad himself seems to be in a kinder mood this go around. Danny starts to wonder if his hatred toward Vlad is just an immature emotion or if he's getting played. He'll have to find out quickly because not even the jungles of Ecuador can hide a man's secrets for long.

A/N: Alright, so after months of my writing laying dormant because of lack of time to write while in college, I realized with sudden horror that my writing skills worsened with the lack of use. So, after sharing my lament with my friend, MutantLover09, she gave me the brilliant idea to start up again on a fan fiction that I like. After some brainstorming, I finally settled on the idea of a Powerless sequel. So, all of you who begged for a sequel, thank MutantLover09...'cause she's awesome and stuff!

Anyways, I'm still not sure of a set plot for this fic. I know some of what I want to do and some plot points, but most things are pretty fuzzy. So bear with me if things get weird because I might let my imagination go wild on this one.

I would like to add that this sequel takes place a year after Powerless. So he's about 16. It's before Phantom Planet, though. So his parents still don't know about his ghost powers and all that jazz. Just thought I needed to clarify that before we start.

And without further ado, I give you the sequel to Powerless! Enjoy and review!

Disclaimer: Oh, wow. I don't miss these things. Yeah, I don't any of the Danny Phantom characters. That all belongs to Butch Hartman and Nickelodeon and crap.

Incommunicado

Written By: Pixiegirl13

Chapter 1 Into the Shark Tank I Go!

Evil. They were wicked, sick, vile. Every form of the word you could possibly think of was what my parents were that very moment. It was like they were dangling my helpless body out over a tank or hungry sharks and about to cut the rope that was the only thing in the world keeping me out of harms way. You know how bad that feeling is? It's a feeling that sticks to you, infests your very senses until the point that even the taste in your mouth is a queasy tang. You just can't get rid of it.

As I stared up at the immense stone structure of Vlad Master's great mansion, that taste was coming back with a vengeance. It created a knot inside my stomach the more my narrowed stare took in the perfectly trimmed hedges, the marble front steps, and even the lame castle-like green flag flapping in the breeze up on the top peak of the looming building.

I couldn't believe this was going to be my home for the next two weeks.

"Don't just stand there pouting all day, Danny," Mom scorned me with a disapproving tone as she slipped out of the RV's passenger seat. "Help your dad get the rest of your things from the back. Come on now."

I just couldn't do this. I couldn't allow myself to walk willingly through that front door. Desperately, I groped for different strategies inside my head. Finding one that seemed legit enough in my time of dire need, I said to my mom, "Please, mom, do I have to do this? Why can't I just stay home? I'm 16! I can take care of myself! Please!" I wished I had Jazz's puppy-dog-pout eyes then. They would have come in handy for all the begging and pleading I was doing. Too bad she had already left to preview at a university the night before.

"We've been through this," mom told me, sounding flustered from all my whining. "Vlad invited you to stay with him. We can't turn him down now."

"Yes we can!" I said. Like a leech not ready to give up on its host, I followed my mom around the car, saying in a rush, "We haven't rung the doorbell yet. He doesn't know we're even here! We can just pack up things right now. You can leave me off at a bus stop along the way. I can find my way back home while you guys go ahead and drive to your vacation."

"It's not a vacation, Danny," she said, now annoyed with me and my pestering. "It's work. There are ghosts to catch, and you are not coming along for the ride."

"You're driving to Florida," I scoffed with a roll of my eyes. Who was she kidding? "Florida beaches, to be exact. How many ghosts do you think you'll find there?"

"That's none of your business," she said tersely. She slung a duffle bag out of the trunk and shoved it into my unwelcome arms, saying sternly, "And we're done arguing about this. The next thing that come out of your mouth better be something other than complaining or we're leaving you with Vlad for more than the alloted time. Got that, mister?"

"Got what?" my dad asked, confused. He had just stumbled into the conversation as he had joined us at the back of the RV. As he got my suitcase out he looked back and forth between mom and I before asking slowly, "And why is everyone frowning at me? Did I do something wrong?"

"No, sweetie," mom sighed. She gave a tired smile to dad. "You're fine. Danny's still upset about being sent here. That's all."

"Why?" dad asked, the surprise evident in his shocked voice and his wide eyed stare. "Vladdy is the best friend I've ever had! He's going to take great care of you, Danny. Just like last summer. Don't you worry!"

"Yeah. Sure. Let's just get this other with," I muttered. I didn't even try to hide my resentment. The battle was lost. Not worth the effort to fight anymore. I needed to conserve my energy for Vlad.

"That's the spirit, Danny!" dad extolled me with a fatherly slap on the back. He was never the one to take a hint. Actually, he wasn't good at catching the meaning even if it was written on a billboard. That's dad for you.

Dragging my feet the entire way, my parents and I made our trip up the elaborate staircase to the front door. I watched on with dread as my dad rung the doorbell and we waited for the inevitable. My stomach churned. The sick taste in my mouth came back to torture my taste buds. I found myself white-knuckle-gripping the strap to my duffle bag. I'd give anything to turn ghost and fly out of there.

Then, suddenly, the door was swinging open. Vlad Masters appeared before us looking as classy gentleman as ever. His calm but powerful demeanor exuded confidence. The knowing smirk he wore looked like it was put there just to irk me. It was his eyes that lightly landed on mine that got me, though. Icy spiders raced up my spine at the cold connection. I repressed the sensation. I would show no fear.

"Jack...Maddie!" the millionaire and mayor of Amity Park said, welcoming my parents with pretense hospitality. "I'm so glad you could make it," he said, looking at my mom the entire time. You know that puke sensation I had been feeling? Oh yeah. It was real now.

"You were along the way, Vladdy," dad said, roughly slapping Vlad on the shoulder.

"No it wasn't," I growled, still pissed I had to do this. "This house is like six hours off your course." Mom glared at me. Dad looked even more confused. Vlad grinned. Instantly, guilt picked at my insides. Jeez, did I have to be so jerky? Still, wasn't like I was apologizing. Maybe if I was difficult enough they would change their minds. It was a lame hope, but it was the only hope I had at this point.

"Ah, Danny. As spunky as ever, I see," Vlad said, ruffling my hair with a hand as if we were old friends. I shot him one of more lethal death glares. Spunky? Seriously? What was I? A hamster?

"I'm sorry, Vlad," my mom apologized for me. "Danny is a bit testy. He really wanted to spend this time with his friends. He'll be fine after we leave, though, just you watch."

"Oh, I'm sure, Maddie," Vlad said with understanding. He clung to every word my mom uttered. You could see it in his eyes. He wanted and desired her. It was so gross. I wanted to ask the man for a barf bag. It would be common courtesy to give me one in my opinion.

My mom looked uncomfortable under Vlad's stare. She showed this with a faltering smile. She quickly propelled the meeting to conclusion by saying, "Thank you so much for taking Danny in, Vlad, but we must be on our way. It's a long drive. You two have fun!" Then, in a sharp whisper to me, she ordered, "Behave."

I wanted to tell her I loved her. I didn't. I was too frustrated, too angry to respond to her.

"See you later, Danny!" my dad called back to me as he and mom descended the stairs.

Suddenly, I realized they were leaving. They were leaving me alone with my arch enemy. That rope keeping me away from the sharks was being cut right before my eyes. In a few seconds they were going to be gone for two whole weeks. There was nothing I could do to stop them. My stomach wrenched at the horrifying feeling. No! I couldn't let them do this!

As I lunged forward, Vlad shot his hand out and grabbed my shoulder. With a steady grip, he pulled me back towards him, saying quietly, "Don't embarrass yourself, Daniel. Let them go."

Maybe it was something he said. I don't know what it was, but I let my shoulders slump in defeat and released a rejected sigh. What were they going to do? It wasn't like they were going to be able to miraculously see through Vlad's disguise, realize he was an evil ghost, and then drive me back home where it was safe and sound. That option wasn't possible. There was no plausible way to get them to let me leave with them. Realizing that really sucked.

Vlad and I watched the RV slowly roll out of the circular driveway with the extravagant stone fountain in the middle. When the car had completely vanished from our sight Vlad lifted his hand away from my shoulder. I glared up on him, trying to give him the vibe that I wasn't scared of him and knew exactly what he was doing...which wasn't really true. I had no clue what the devil wanted with me.

"Shall we get you settled into your room, Daniel?" Vlad asked me, his voice oozing with suffocatingly fake generosity.

"If you think I'm going to go through with this, Vlad, then you're an idiot," I growled at him. I grabbed my extra suitcase off the ground, simultaneously going ghost. I wasn't going to stay there and fall into all of Vlad's traps like some lab rat. My specter butt was getting out of there.

"I'd rethink that plan of yours," Vlad said, taking out a cellphone from his jacket pocket. He flipped it open, saying seriously, "I can dial your parents right now and tell them you ran away. They'll have to turn around and search for you. And when they can't find their son, they will call the police to try and find you. You'll make a fool of yourself while ruining your parents' trip at the same time. You'll waste their time, make them angry, and eventually have them mistrust you. Consequences, Daniel. You must remember them."

"Just let me go, Vlad," I pleaded with the merciless man.

A sly smile slithered onto Vlad's lips at my obviously amusing actions. "Now why would I want to do that?" he asked me mysteriously. "We already have so many plans booked together. Canceling them would waste money, and you know how much I love my money."

"Plans? What kind of plans?" I asked skeptically. This didn't sound good coming from Vlad. The last time he had drawn up big plans for me, I was kidnapped, dragged to Japan, forced to date a psycho, and was obliged to defeat a golem that practically killed me three times. Yeah. That hadn't been a fun trip.

"I know how much you love secrets, so I won't be telling them to you so soon," Vlad said sneakily as he yanked the suitcase out of my hand. He briskly walked indoors, saying over his shoulder, "You might want to change back into a human. I have hidden video cameras stationed around the house. It would be a shame if one of my security personnel happened upon your ghostly form and reported it to someone other than myself."

Cheeks turning color despite my want for control, I quickly turned back human. Grimacing, I walked through the door and followed Vlad around the large, impressive foyer. As I hurried to catch up with Vlad while passing by glass display cases full of Packers paraphernalia, I hated myself and my curiosity. It was going to kill me. I just knew it. Either that, or stupidity.

"I'm not staying here very long if you don't tell me what you're planning," I told him as we traveled up a winding wooden staircase. The plush red carpet padded our footsteps. Old, antique oil paintings with ornate frames were neatly displayed on the walls all the way up to the second floor and beyond. I wondered how many floors the place had. Seemed like a lot.

"Tomorrow," Vlad said.

"Yeah? Tomorrow what?" I asked.

"Tomorrow morning I will tell you everything," he said, giving me a calm nod.

"Yeah right," I scoffed. "You think I'm really that dumb? You'll probably have me strapped down to some dissecting table by then, and while you're cutting me open you'll tell me your disgusting plans."

Vlad grinned. It wasn't an evil or calculating one. It was an actual, real grin. As he led me down the lavishly designed and decorated hallway, he said with a chuckle, "You have a morbid imagination."

"I'm not being funny," I persisted. "That's exactly what you'd do with me."

"Of course not," the man derided me with a dismissive wave of his hand. "You're too important to throw away like that, Daniel. You know that."

"You're avoiding the subject," I said, shaking my befuddled head. "You have to tell me your plans now, Vlad, or I'm leaving. Got that?"

As I was saying this, we had entered a bedroom. It was bigger than my mom's and dad's, it was that big. A four poster bed sat on the left side. Other dark, wooden furniture dotted the rest of the spacious area. A massive window was on the far wall, looking out over the side of the house where a beautifully manicured garden sat on display. The room even had its own bathroom with a shower and hot tub. If it didn't belong to my enemy, I might have said I'd arrived in heaven.

Vlad set my suitcase down on the queen size bed which looked really comfy after a six hour ride in the bumpy and uncomfortable RV. He turned to me, smiling when he noticed that I had been looking around in wonder. I couldn't help it. Expensive, lavish things are alien to my ghost hunting middle class family.

"You like your room?" he asked me.

"It will do," I muttered back with a cool glare. "And you're still dodging the subject."

"Oh, yes. That," Vlad said with a dispassionate sigh. He gave me a pointed look then, as if he expected me to know all the answers. Finally, he asked, "What makes you think you'll be able to leave now?"

My breath hiked up into my chest for a second. I refused to believe he was serious. To make things clear, I asked tentatively, "What do you mean?"

"Try the window if you don't believe me," he said, lazily pointing to the glass structure.

I said nothing as I stomped over to the window, glaring at him the entire time. He had better been kidding. How come I had the awful feeling he was telling the truth, though? Fingers feverish with anger and fear, I gripped the window ledge and lifted it open with a grunt. A fresh breeze carrying the scent of summer flowers brushed through my hair and T-shirt as the air rushed in. My hand hesitated before I shoved it outside the window...and was prevented access as it hit an invisible shield.

Damn. No, no, no! What had I just done? I had just walked into Vlad's trap like some dumb rat who had smelled that lovely piece of cheese on the snare and went blindly after it. He must have activated the shield as soon as I had stepped inside the house. I felt like a complete and utter moron.

"Dinner is at six," Vlad told me from the doorway.

I whirled around, instantly infuriated. I was going to punch the snot out of the man. As I ran toward him, I pulled my cool core to the surface and flashed into ghost mode. From months of experience, the change was swift and instantaneous. I meant business. Still, Vlad was faster because he had anticipated my anger outburst. He threw a small metal cube at me. With a yelp, I tried to put on my brakes and dodge the thing, but I had been going to fast.

An explosion enveloped me in that second the cube made contact, but no fire or any kind of heat was there. When I opened my eyes, I saw that I was on the floor and that the world had changed color. Everything had a blue tint to it. A second more of thought told me I was in one of Skulker's ghost confining boxes. I'd been in one before. They don't give you much leg room. I couldn't stand up, the area of entrapment was so small. There was no getting out of it being ghost or human.

"Get me out of here, Vlad," I growled at the man, pounding hard on the box from where I had to sit on my hands and knees. First abandoned by my own parents, then becoming the idiot who got himself trapped, and now the embarrassing ghost kid stuck in a blue box. I wasn't in a happy mood.

"Only if you promise to behave for a while," Vlad said, flaunting his power with a twisted and triumphant smile. He still stood placidly in the doorway, leaning against the frame with his hands loosely folded in front of him. He was really enjoying this.

I gave a heavy sigh to try and compose myself, running a gloved hand through my snowy hair. I needed the time and the clarity to think things through. This wasn't one of my better days. Still, it wasn't my worst. I'd been in and out of plenty of scrapes to know that for sure. Besides, there wasn't much I could do at this point. Wasn't like I could leave anymore. Like it or not, I was stuck here. I might as well start figuring out Vlad's game and finding a way to get myself out of the mess. And the only way to do that was to go by his rules...for now.

"Promise," I muttered.

A/N: Poor Danny. He probably feels so stupid. I would too. Anyways, I don't want to go at the bimonthly updating schedule I used to have. I'm gonna try to get a chapter out every weekend. They might be smaller chapters 'cause I'll just throw out whatever I have written. But if it's less than four pages or so, I'll just skip that weekend or something. Hopefully that will work.

Hope you readers enjoyed the chapter! I'll see y'all next week!


	2. Chapter 2 Dinner Discussions

A/N: Wow. I almost forgot how awesome you readers are. My first chapter got a ton of instant response. You guys made my week. Seriously! I tried getting to every review even though it took a long time. Although I'd love to get to every one of them, I think I'll have to start responding only to longer ones or ones that ask a question. I just don't have the time to get to 'em all. Sorry!

Anyways, I feel like I'm rambling. What you guys want is another chapter. Well, here's a longer one than the first. Also, I'd like to point out that while I'm writing this fic to keep up my writing, I'm not running this fic through a beta reader. I just want chapters to come out quick and fun. While I'll try to keep the errors out, I'm human and will screw up. So if you see something that bothers you that I didn't catch while skimming over, feel free to throw a spork at me and point it out in a review so I can fix it later. Thanks!

Now, here's your chapter! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: All Danny Phantom characters are not mine. Everything else belongs to me, though.

Chapter 2 Dinner Discussions

"_Promise," I muttered._

"Good boy," the man congratulated me, pressing a button on a hand held device he'd gotten from his jacket pocket. The walls of my small prison vanished. Standing up, I listened reluctantly as he told me, "Dinner is served at six. Be there sharp or you won't get anything. I might not be there right away because of business, but you can go ahead and eat without me."

"Watch. You'll probably drug me like last time," I snapped back at him.

He gave me a criticizing smile. "At least you remembered," he said after a short pause. Sighing in conclusion, Vlad straightened out his jacket and cuffs before saying, "How about I leave you alone for a while; let you clear your head. It might do you some good. I have business to attend to anyways."

"Business?" I asked flatly.

"Yes, Daniel. Business," he said curtly. "When people grow up, sometimes they have jobs to work at which require _business_. Don't think I live only to make ghost inventions and torture you. I have a city to run and take care of, which so happens to require some of my business."

"Really? Thanks for that definition, Vlad," I said. "I really needed that. 'Cause when you first said business I instantly thought that you had to take a crap."

Vlad took me in with a sour look on his face as if he didn't know what to make of me. I idly glared back at him, waiting for a reaction of some kind yet still really enjoying his silence. I think it was safe to say I earned a point with that one.

"You're adorable," Vlad said finally, his tone sharp.

"I try."

"Glad to hear that you're still thinking like a five-year-old."

"Better than someone's who's 80."

"I'm leaving now."

"There still are miracles."

"You're free to roam the house, but the basement is off limits."

"Big surprise there."

"And, Daniel?"

I didn't respond.

"I hope you have a nice afternoon."

That said, Vlad closed to door and left. I stayed where I was, listening to his fading footsteps until they were only a memory in my mind. He was gone. Now what? I had nothing to go on. Fine. I could work with that. I just couldn't panic. I needed a clear head.

Still, I couldn't shake the humiliating feeling of rewarding myself with this year's Darwin award. I had to be the biggest idiot. The feeling ate at my insides. It made me angry at myself. Here I was, Amity Park's biggest superhero, and I couldn't see a blatant trap from my arch enemy. Some hero I was.

Giving a lamenting groan for the freedom that had slipped through my fingers, I went over to my suitcase on the bed. Opening it, I found my stash of ghost weapons I'd hidden between articles of clothing. I sorted through the bunch, finally deciding on the wrist ray. Shoving the weapon into my front pocket, I took the rest of the gadgets and hid them under the bed, inside the bathroom, or under the pillows. I didn't want Vlad coming in later and taking them away.

That done, it was time to get started on an escape. Truth be told, I didn't expect to find one. Vlad was pretty good at covering all exits. I had to try, though. I couldn't just do nothing. That wasn't how this ghost kid did things.

"First things first, the window," I talked to myself as I headed there again. I placed my palm on the invisible surface preventing me outdoor access. A forceful punch told me how strong the shield was. The added kick was only to get my frustration out.

"Wonder where he put the shield generator," I muttered, tapping my chin with a forefinger in thought. "If I can find it and turn it off, I could get out easily. He probably put it in his lab in the basement, and I bet he has that place rigged with security since I've gotten here." I really wasn't in the mood that day to be zapped by some gun or to get stuck in another one of Vlad's inventions. "Maybe when I get a bit more desperate," I resolved.

It was time to move on. While that bed looked mighty inviting, I wasn't gonna close my eyes for a second in Vlad's house. It would be like him to drug me while I was sleeping. I was going to try and go without it for as long as I could. That was going to be hard. I loved sleep.

Slowly and silently, I cracked the door to my room open. Peering around the empty hallway, I saw that the coast was clear before leaving my room behind. I paused in the corridor briefly, not knowing which direction to choose. Where should I go from here? Was there any point to exploring the mansion? Maybe. It couldn't hurt.

So that's what I did for the next three hours. I explored. At first I set out to find an exit or something that would give me an upper hand. I'd quickly phase through locked and unlocked doors, scan the area, maybe open a window and check the shield again. After the first hour, though, I started to get bored and weary of the sweeping search. I wanted to give up and go back to my room. I wished Sam and Tucker were there with me. They'd know what to do. Too bad there was no cellphone service in the entire house. Believe me, I tried. I think the shield cut off my signal. It was annoying.

It wasn't till the second hour came along and after declaring myself completely lost that I started to truly wander, the mission of escape jumping to the back of my mind with all the rest of my worries for the future. Once getting past all the bedrooms or sitting rooms, the place started to turn interesting. Some rooms held all kinds of old and ancient artifacts. The items stood on waste high pillars or sat behind glass paneled display cases. Either they were bought with all of Vlad's money or were stolen. I couldn't tell, so I wasn't very concerned.

In these museum-like rooms I found all kinds of cool things. There was clay pottery from Greece some time in 200 A.D. In that same room were porcelain tea sets from the Victorian era in England and from China. Another room held only tribal masks that came from different clans in Africa. One room had just Egyptian stuff in it like those pretty looking caskets that mummies on TV come out of. I liked looking at the hieroglyphics on some tablets and the gold jewelry. What was neat was that every item had a description printed near it so I could read what everything was and where and what time it came from. Sam would have really enjoyed this stuff. Probably more than I was. I wished she was there.

After making my way through a few of these rooms, I wondered why Vlad would have such interesting things in his house. Was it all just for show? Or did he actually like all this old stuff? Also, since when was I enthralled with this history crap? Maybe I was just really bored. Come to think of it, there really was nothing else to do.

Eventually I came upon a room that held a memory both Vlad and I shared. At first I thought it was just a lump of stone that had probably been broken off from an important building in the past, but I decided to read the description anyway to find out. After reading I just stared at the rock as a mix of good and painful memories returned to me. The rock was a remaining piece of the golem I had helped destroy in Tokyo last summer with Vlad. I didn't know he had kept some of it.

I moved on, but not with the same kind of child-like curiosity inside me this time. I visited a few more rooms before ending up at the stairwell to the roof. Maybe I'd get better cellphone signal up there. With a hopeful smile rushing to my face, I raced up the metal steps and phased through the latch door which I knew would be locked. I must have looked like a lunatic as I scrambled with my cellphone and shoved it into the air above my head, hoping for a bar to appear. No miracles happened. My phone was as useless up here than it would be in Vlad's lab basement.

"Jeez, that fruit loop thought of everything," I muttered, plopping myself on the brick edge of the round tower. My feet dangled out over the ledge. Five floors below was the circular driveway with the fountain. The water sparkled in the last few rays of the setting sun that sat on the hilly horizon.

A warm breeze gently brushed into me, putting a sad smile on my lips. I sat there for a few more minutes, watching as the sun slowly painted pretty colors across the sky. It was really nice...if you took away the being held there against my own will part, of course.

My stomach was the one who alerted me to the time. It gave a reproachful gurgle as if whining for the lack of food in it. I almost got excited about dinner. Almost. The regular joy that the mention of food had on me had to be reminded of my situation. Dinner in Vlad's house meant seeing him and probably getting drugged. Great. Just great. I could go without sleep for a while, but food was a different story.

"I'll think of something," I told myself without much convincing. Couldn't ponder about it all day, though. I had dinner to get to. Vlad expected me to be there, and I'm sure there would be some punishment for not going. I couldn't avoid him forever. He'd find me. The creep.

So, adding another sigh to my growing pile of them that day, I leaned backwards and fell through the roof. I let my body stay intangible so I could phase my way to the first floor quicker. It was sort of fun letting my body drop through five stories and landing in a couch in some random living room. Standing, I quickly headed for where I remembered the dining room was from the last time I was there with my family for a quick visit. Because my dad still thinks he's best friends with Vlad, the family has a lot of those visits. I hate them. They're unnerving on my part.

The dining room was empty of people, but I could tell someone had recently been there because of the two plates set on the long, polished table: one for Vlad and the other for me. As I sat in the high-backed chair near the end of the table, I wondered where the cook was this whole time. Seriously, the staff in the house were almost ghostly the way they stayed invisible. I would have thought they were, but my ghost sense hadn't gone off all day.

My stomach spoke out again with a groan at the sight and smell of the steaming food in front of me. Staring down at the homemade mashed potatoes, perfectly cooked green beans, and juicy steak made my mouth water and my stomach urge me on. Almost savagely, I grabbed my fork and built a tower of fluffy potato goodness on top of it. I brought it to my mouth and paused. My body and mind battled it out for dominance. My stomach begged yes. My brain pleaded no.

There was just too big of a chance Vlad had the food drugged. I couldn't do that to myself. It would be too stupid. I'd already won the idiot award today. I didn't want to add another trophy to my record.

"I can always steal something later tonight," I pathetically sighed to myself, forcing my hand to put the fork down. Man, this was torture. Vlad really knew how to make me miserable without even knowing it. Or did he know? Jeez, I was getting paranoid already.

"Staring at the plate won't feed you, Danny," Vlad said suddenly from my side. I gave a small jump at his surprise presence. He chuckled, moving on to his place at the end of the table and sitting down. Besides a short glare, I said nothing to the man.

In a pout over not being able to let myself eat, I leaned my elbow on the table and propped my head up that way as I poked around at my meal with a fork. I created a mini volcano with the mashed potatoes and made-believed that the beans I'd laid down side by side next to it were farm lands.

"So what did you do today, Daniel?" Vlad asked me to try and start conversation.

"You want my honest answer?" I said blandly, not looking up at him.

"Of course."

"I spent the afternoon looking for an escape."

"Did you find one?"

I glanced up at him, reading into the small, sardonic curl of his lip as he chewed his food. "Funny," I said snidely, returning to my mashed potato volcano. I was using the steak juices as hot lava. "You should be a comedian."

I could hear the smirk in his voice as he asked me, "Did you do anything else today besides look for an escape?"

"I explored."

"Find anything interesting?" he asked, this time with more curiosity in his voice.

I hesitated before saying, "That golem piece. Why do you have it?" It was only then that I looked up to see his reaction.

"Hm. That's a good question," Vlad said, looking upward in thought. "Sentimental reasons maybe."

"We almost got killed," I pointed out. "I'm sure those are cherished memories for a lunatic like yourself."

"Your sarcasm is a defense mechanism, Daniel," Vlad told me matter-of-factly, cutting off another piece of his steak with precise movements of his silverware. "That means you feel very impotent at the moment. Something is stressing you to the point that you feel like you must lash out. What might that be?"

"Since when did the subject change from the golem remains to my problem with sarcasm?" I asked contemptuously. "Can we stay on topic for just a minute more, or is my problem getting in the way of your bloated pride, Vlad?"

Vlad stared at me as I glared heatedly back at him. He didn't show an ounce of annoyance, and it made me more angry. After a second or two, I shifted my gaze back to my full plate that had turned into a landscape of nosh. Man, I was hungry.

"As you probably know from exploring my house," Vlad said, "I like to collect historical artifacts. While the piece of the golem might hold a little sentimental value to me because it reminds me of those two weeks we shared together, I mostly enjoy it for its historical value. The golem was an ancient mystical being. It was only logical I kept a piece for display. Does that answer your question, Daniel?"

"Sure," I muttered. I was too busy destroying the green bean farm land with steak juice lava. It was the only way to get my mind off the grub.

"Aren't you hungry?" Vlad asked.

"I'm stuffed," I lied.

"You haven't taken a bite this entire time," Vlad pressed me. "You've just been playing with your food."

"No appetite."

"You're not very convincing, Danny. You just changed your answer to something completely different."

"Can I leave now?"

"No. Not until you tell me what's bothering you."

"Shut up!" I exploded like my mashed potato volcano. I threw the fork onto the table while getting up out of my seat. I glared down at Vlad as I spat at him, "Don't pretend like you care or - or that you don't know! I'm not a moron, Vlad! I know this food could be drugged. I'm not falling for your crap!"

The man blinked at me in surprise before he busted out laughing. Can you believe it? He was laughing at me! Gritting my teeth in anger, I turned to leave. I wasn't going to stand there and be giggled at. Especially not by some insane person.

"Hold on," Vlad said, swiftly grabbing my forearm to yank me to a stop before I could leave. I gave a vicious pull to free myself, but his grip held tight. Composing himself, Vlad said with a smile, "If food that you know isn't drugged is all you want, Daniel, I can surely show it to you. All you had to do was ask."

Surprised by this news, all I could do was stare at the man before I changed my expression into one of suspicion. "Why are you being so nice to me?" I asked him dubiously. This wasn't good. Vlad being nice always had a catch. I wasn't so sure if I was going to like this.

"You're becoming paranoid, boy," he said with a snake-like grin.

"With good reasons," I muttered back.

"Fine, then," he resolved, letting me go and standing up. "I'm going to the kitchen where non-drugged food is. If you're hungry enough, you'll follow me. I'm not asking for your trust, Daniel. It's just a demonstration of how I treat my guests here."

"You trap all your guests here?" I asked, trying not to smile as I delivered the comment.

Vlad's shoulders slumped with his exasperated sigh as if he was a deflating balloon. "That's beside the point," he told me sharply. "What I'm trying to tell you, boy, is that you're a guest here for the time being. Although you are not permitted to leave the house, you will not be harmed unless you instigate a physical fight. Being a guest also means that you have full rein of the mansion; that includes anything in the kitchen. I don't want you to view these two weeks as a prison sentence. Think of them more like...a vacation away from home."

"A vacation with my arch enemy?" I said in false wonder.

"And here comes your charming wit," Vlad said, standing back and expecting the sarcasm.

I grinned. It was clear I was bugging the crap out of him. It was awesome. "You know what, Vladdy?" I said. "I'll be a good, little kid and keep my mouth shut just this once for you."

"Thank you. You're too kind."

"I'll just make sure my next comment is even more sarcastic than the last one," I assured him.

"You want to be shown to the kitchen or not?" Vlad asked me, putting his hands on his hips like a chiding parent.

"Maybe," was my shameful answer.

Less than a minute later, I had discovered one of the biggest kitchens I'd ever seen with the guiding help of Vlad. The atmosphere had a smooth blend of old and new elements in it. While the cabinets were all a rich, polished wood, the counter tops were a black granite and the appliances were stainless steel and top-of-the-line. An island sat in the middle of the large space. The fridge was practically the size of two of mine back home. The walk-in pantry was filled to the brim with stuff to munch on. The way the dark counters glimmered in the soft lighting of the track light, the entire kitchen looked like it came out of an expensive catalog. For a man who was half ghost and didn't need to eat so much, Vlad put a lot of emphasis on the niceness of his kitchen.

"Knock yourself out, as you young ones say," Vlad told me after watching my eyes light up in excitement. "What's mine is yours."

"I'm making myself a feast," I said, talking more to myself than to Vlad. Without a second more of hesitation, I went to work at exploring the room. As I whisked myself around the kitchen, grabbing plates, silverware, packets, boxes, and a gallon of milk in preparation of my masterpiece, Vlad silently sat himself down at the plush little booth in the corner and watched me with an amused grin. I hardly noticed him. It was food time. I wouldn't let the psycho ruin it.

In the end I made myself a sandwich stuffed with every kind of meat filling, cheese, and topping I could find; a bowl with three scoops of the best ice cream from the freezer; and a bowl of cereal. Plopping everything onto the booth's table, I didn't even wait to get seated before I tucked into the ice cream first. When that was devoured, I moved onto the sandwich. Every bite was a new, satisfying flavor. Whatever Vlad had bought, it was delicious.

Finally, I got to the cereal. By the time I was there, I was close to being stuffed. It was a good feeling. Leisurely taking bites of cereal, I noticed that Vlad had said nothing this entire time and was staring at me. My eyes furtively glanced up at him, demanding for an answer to his creepiness.

"You're doing much better than last time," he commended me mysteriously.

"Last time?" I asked after swallowing a mouthful of Lucky Charms. I think I knew what he meant, but I wanted clarification from the man before I assumed anything.

"Last summer, of course," he answered. "You practically ran right into my plan without a second thought. It was quite pathetic. At least this time you knew it was coming and even planned so far ahead as to avoid anything I served you to prevent being drugged. Clever."

"Do I get a prize for lasting this long?" I asked, mouth filled with half chewed cereal.

"I'm afraid not," Vlad chuckled. He reclined back in his seat, relaxing as he crossed his arms behind his head. He was in a good mood. I didn't like it. "But you might get one for better table manners."

"That can't be helped," I said, shrugging indifferently. "You want me to stay cooped up in this place of yours, then you get all of me. Teenager and his messy manners included. No exceptions."

"It's amazing how you've intellectually grown in the sense that you know enough about me and my methods to avoid being caught off guard, and yet you haven't matured a bit," Vlad said. An edge of fascination was in his voice. His eyes studied me like the specimen I was to him. My skin crawled at the sensation of being viewed as something less than human. To say I was uncomfortable would be an understatement.

"It doesn't take a half brained lab rat to know you're an evil person, V-man," I pointed out with as much bluntness as I could. "And it sure as hell doesn't take a teenager to learn how you operate. You must take me for a complete idiot."

"Not exactly," he said.

"Was that supposed to be a compliment?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. I paused to give a sleepy yawn before telling him, "Sheesh, Vlad. No wonder you live all alone. You can't even give a decent compliment."

Vlad's brows came together in irritation, but other than that he showed no sign of annoyance from his relaxed spot across from me. We stared at each other for a few seconds in a studying match. I tried desperately to read him in that silent moment, but I got nothing. I wondered how much Vlad reaped from me. The thought left an unsettling feeling in the pit of my stomach.

"Tell me, Daniel," Vlad said slowly and seriously, "how do you plan on avoiding me and my plans for you for two weeks?"

Well, I wasn't expecting that kind of a question. Quickly, I raked my head for a good answer and stumbled out with, "Like I'd tell you my plans."

"You know how to get food," he said, not taking his piercing stare off me. "How about sleep? You plan to stay awake for two weeks?"

"No," I spat back.

"Then for how long? Sooner or later, you'll get tired. When that happens, your brain won't function as quickly and efficiently. It will make you slow, weak, and vulnerable. I could strike then."

"So you _are_ planning something. Figures," I said, trying to keep in another yawn. Jeez, I was sleepy. That wasn't good. I would need some caffeine or something to keep me going tonight.

"Am I?" Vlad asked with a coy tilt of his head. "I never said I was. I'm just asking you hypothetically. Besides, you know if I was planning anything you'd already be in my control by now."

"No. Stop. Stop playing with me like this," I said, the aggravation clear in my voice. My hands instinctively balled up into fists.

"Playing with you?" Vlad said with a short chuckle. "How is that, boy?"

"Right now, you're doing it, and you very well know it, Vlad," I growled at him. Indignantly, I shoved my plate and bowls away from me as I scrambled out of the booth. "I'm not standing for it," I told the man. "I'm getting out of here before you try to screw around with me any more. I'm not your lab rat. Give it up."

His face becoming one of sudden phlegmatic, Vlad watched me leave. He didn't move an inch to pull me back somehow or chase after me. I couldn't believe he was letting me just walk away. This never happened. I was so confused and paranoid. It made me angry with myself, but especially with Vlad. What kind of game was he playing here? I couldn't figure it out for the life of me.

"Have nice dreams!" was the only thing he said as I was was exiting through the door.

"Get a life!" I called back like a toddler on a tantrum. Even through my anger, I knew deep down I was scared. At any point Vlad was gonna strike like the snake he was...and I had no idea how I was going to defend myself. Something bad was coming and I was powerless to stop it.

A/N: Yep. Danny knows something is coming. A lot of talking this chapter. I'm itching for some action. That's coming up next chapter! I'm more excited for that than I should be. Anyways, I'll see you guys next weekend!


	3. Chapter 3 Welcome to Hell 20

A/N: Sorry for getting this out late. Man, I was slammed with homework, an essay, and tests all last week. Thankfully, spring break has now hit so I have plenty of time to write! Also, sorry for not responding to reviews! I loved them, though! You readers are awesome! Anyways, here's the next chapter! Read and enjoy, my friends!

Disclaimer: Wishing gets you nowhere. And that is why I don't own this show or any of the characters.

Chapter 3 Welcome to Hell 2.0

No. I had to keep moving. Vigorously shaking the wisps of sleep off my tired limbs and out of my lethargic head, I got off the bed and began to pace the room. Warily, I glanced at the digital clock on my bedside. It was 2:36 in the morning. This was the hard stretch. If I could last till six, I'd be good for the rest of the day.

"Shouldn't have stayed up last night hunting ghosts," I muttered my lament while rubbing the side of my face. "Man, why is this so hard tonight? Usually an all-nighter doesn't waste me like this." Fun. I was talking to myself again.

For the past hour sleep had been really biting at the edges of my brain. It felt like every second I was fighting the nodding-off sensation. Keeping my brain working and functioning properly took constant prodding, stimulation, and concentration. Seemed like I was close to passing out every ten minutes. It was horrible. Of all the nights I needed to stay awake and I was failing like a five-year-old trying to stay up an hour past his bed time for the first time.

"What is wrong with me?" I grumbled as I forced myself to speed up my pacing.

It wasn't even fifteen minutes later when I found myself on the floor with no remembrance of how I'd gotten there. Wincing from the impact of myself against ground, I struggled to my feet while looking around in confusion. The clock told me I hadn't been out for more than a few seconds. Huh. I must have passed out in mid stride during my pacing.

That was scary.

"He-he must have drugged me or something," I said, grabbing one of the bed's four posters. I leaned upon the post, trying to think clearly. Nothing was making sense. I was too tired. Sleep was clawing at my consciousness like a hungry animal with my mind being its meal.

"But...ug...how could Vlad drug me?" I asked myself. Desperately, I whacked my head against the poster to try and jolt myself into lucidness. It worked for a short second as I said, "I've been up for hours without any problems. There's been no smoke, shots, or drugged food. I...no...this can't be happening."

I had to sit down, but I knew it was bad for me. Reluctantly, I sat on the end of my bed. Must have fallen asleep after that because I don't remember anything else that night. The next time I opened my eyes, it was morning. Sun brightly shined through my window, warming my face. A light, cool breeze flittered through, but I was warm under the covers of the comfy bed. I was on a cloud. The bed felt so nice. I could have stayed there forever. That's exactly what I planned to do.

Shifting myself so my face wasn't in the sun, I felt and noticed something foreign on my wrist. Frowning, I pulled my arm out from under the pillow to inspect whatever was there. I must have forgotten to take my watch off before going to bed. Odd.

"No," I said in hardly a whisper.

Although it was a watch, it wasn't my watch that was on my wrist. I'd seen it before, though. Expensive, sleek, and innocent looking enough, but underneath that devious disguise was something more complex and dangerous. The science involved now bound me to the watch. It would be the bane of my existence these next two weeks.

"I'll kill him!" I seethed under my breath. Vlad must have waited till I was conked out to make his move on me and install the watch. What else had he done? Without much hope, I shoved my hand into my pocket with the wrist ray in it and came up with nothing. I threw the rest of the pillows aside and saw that the weapons I'd hid were gone too. A quick check under the bed told me Vlad had discovered and confiscated my entire stash. Great. I was useless!

Unexpectedly, the door opened behind me. I was standing on my bed and holding a pillow limply in one hand as Vlad came waltzing into the room. Acting on impulse and possibly anger as well, I wielded my soft weapon, ran for Vlad across the bed, and whacked him in the face with the pillow and a battle cry.

Feathers exploded into the air. They rained down on a dazed and surprised Vlad and I as if they were snowflakes. Awkwardly, I landed beside Vlad on my hands and knees. As I was scrambling to my feet and trying to gain balance, Vlad grabbed my arm and twisted it painfully behind my back while simultaneously kicking my feet out from under me and driving me to the ground with a knee grinding in between my shoulder blades. Ouch. Doesn't matter who you are; getting tripped isn't a pretty process.

Well, that hadn't worked out as I planned it.

"I see you're awake," Vlad said in a huff. He kept me pressed up against the carpeted floor as I ineffectively struggled and the fluffy feathers continued to float down on us. Blowing a stray feather away from his face, the man asked me, "You finished fighting like a child?"

"Pah! Blah. Gross. I got one in my mouth," I said, spitting out a feather and glaring up at Vlad.

"That would be your fault for throwing a feather pillow at my face and breaking it," Vlad told me. He applied more pressure onto my back and wrist. The intense pain that shot through my limb forced a sharp gasp from me. I'd get nowhere in this position, so I quit squirming in hopes that Vlad would let up.

"What did you do, Vlad?" I asked him in a growl. "How'd you drug me?"

Vlad's eyebrows raised in surprise. His lips tried to suppress a grin as he said, "Ah! So you did suspect me. Simple, Daniel. I knew you liked cereal and would get into it at some point, so I coated all of the insides of the boxes with an odorless and tasteless chemical that would slowly kick in as time went by. You must have fought off sleep for hours before it finally had its effect on you."

"Cereal?" I sputtered. "Seriously? Cereal?!? I was thwarted by my love for cereal? There is something wrong with this world!" I thumped my head against the carpet and gave a defeated groan. This day was just getting better and better. Please note the sarcasm.

Vlad rolled his eyes, put off by my child-like diatribe. When he saw that I wasn't fighting him or showing any abnormal forms of anger or aggression, he let my wrist go and slowly allowed me to get up. I stayed on the floor, leaning my back against the wall. I felt like a fool. If only I hadn't given into my hunger. Then I might not have been in this situation. Jeez, what was wrong with me?

Looming threateningly over me, Vlad had his hands lightly placed on his hips. He flaunted a sly smile as he pulled out a small, blue book from his inside jacket pocket. "It took some time searching through the ghastly chaos under that bed of yours back home," the man said, his voice having a hint of pride in it. He must have thought himself brave to try and find anything under there. "But I eventually found what I wanted: your passport."

"Oh, not again," I sighed in distress. As panic shot through my veins, I raked my hands through my hair as if the motion would somehow calm me down. It didn't. This was an exact repeat of last summer. Man, this couldn't be happening!

"That's right, Daniel..." Vlad was saying as nightmarish-like scenarios with him and me almost getting killed or worse bombarded my head. All too soon, I was in a true state of panic. I needed to do something! Anything! I couldn't just sit here! "...just this time we'll be-."

He never finished his rambling sentence. Impulsively, I brought back a leg and kicked Vlad right in the knee, making sure it hurt. There was a sick sound of ligaments tearing as Vlad cried out in pain. I didn't stick around to wonder if the man liked getting a heel smashed into his joint like that. As soon as I'd administered the kick, I was on my feet and out the door.

Boy, I was crazy! I'd just attacked Vlad and was running away without an ounce of ghost powers, a single weapon, or anything to protect me when Masters caught up with me. And he _would_ catch me. It was all a matter of time now. Still, I was gonna try and prolong that time as long as I could.

"Hide!" I whispered in panic as I rushed out into the hallway. No time for hesitation. I had to keep moving. I sprinted down the hallway, blasting past pictures and tables with my eyes wide in anxiety.

Careening into a random room, I slid myself under the bed and forced my body to go completely still. My heart continued to race, but I managed to reign in my heavy breathing. There were a lot of rooms on this floor. It could take Vlad some time to check this one. How long would it be?

Apparently, it wasn't very long. Less than a few minutes went by before Vlad burst into the room and briskly walked around before pausing. To a small amount of my satisfaction, he seemed to be limping slightly. If he didn't have ghost powers, that kick could have put him out of commission. He had to be pissed. All I could see were his feet, but I knew he was furious. I could almost picture the dreaded expression on his face. I wasn't going to last much longer.

I tensed up. Here it came. I'd have to move fast. Vlad bent down and peered into the darkness under the bed, his eyes quickly finding mine. There was a quiet fury in his gaze. I hoped he didn't see the sheer terror in mine.

For once, my smaller size came in handy. Vlad was too slow and too big as he thrust his hand in after me. I carefully pushed myself away from his grasp. "Get over here," Vlad growled just as the black rings burst across his body. He lunged at me while going intangible so he could cut right through the cumbersome bed. I threw my body to the side, rolled out from under the bed with a scrape or two, and perilously flung myself toward the door. While there, I turned and grabbed the doorknob, closing the door just as Vlad got to me.

_Wham!_

"Oh, ho! That hurt!" I laughed out of pure insanity. It wasn't even funny. I was just so freaked that laughing seemed like the only logical thing to do then.

Frantically, I sprinted for the stairs. One pissed off ghost I'd just owned with a door was after me. I for sure was going to put on the speed. I knew I wasn't gonna make it, though. There was no way I was gonna outrun Vlad Plasmius in my human state. I was done for.

As predicted, a hand grabbed the back of my shirt's collar before I'd taken six steps. With a strangled yelp, I was viciously jerked backwards. Vlad's hand found my throat while I was falling. He gripped it tightly as he brought me up off my feet and slammed me roughly against a wall. My head exploded with colors, and my throat ached. He was cutting off most of my air supply. I found breathing difficult very quickly.

"Lemme go!" I choked out, clawing at Vlad's hand which held me up by my neck. I kicked out with my legs, trying to knock the ghost away. He simply batted my feet to the side like they were pesky flies.

Vlad brought his head inches away from mine. We glared at each other for a second before he let his electric powers pour down his arm. In a flash of white light, the volts hit me and ripped through my body. My body went rigid, and I coughed out a meager shout of agony.

In seconds, it was done. Gasping for each ragged breath, I tried to recompose myself after having all my limbs rendered useless. It took effort to keep my one hand clutched to Vlad's wrist and to bring up a heel to push against the wall so I could ease the pressure Vlad had on my throat. Sweat slipped down my back and collected on my forehead. I felt like a rag doll.

"That," Vlad growled darkly into my face, "was for the kick."

"You had that one coming," I fearlessly spat back. I speak nothing but the truth.

Vlad brought me away from the wall before slamming me back against it, harder than the first time. I had to squeeze my eyes shut at the eruption of painful colors in my head and the spike of discomfort that stabbed down my spine. I still could hardly breathe. Each breath was a deliberate struggle. Reluctantly, I peeked my eyes open to see my adversary scowling hauntingly at me. The expression made me want to shrink away, but I refused to be moved by fear as I kept my anger in the forefront.

Vlad's narrowed stare never left my face as he thrust his free hand into his pants pocket and brought out a remote control. He lifted the device so it was between our faces. I glanced at the gadget and instantly recognized it. With a single push of the button, Vlad would destroy someone I loved. My dad would be gone.

Dang. I almost forgot that aspect of last summer with Vlad. Lots of those memories from then I had tried to repress. Now they were all coming back despite my efforts to keep them in the box of forgetfulness inside my head.

"You know what this is," Vlad said, his narrowed eyes burrowing into mine. "That fool you call a father has another watch from me, and this time you won't have that annoying sister of yours to help you take it off if you are ever to slip from my control. I've pressed this button once before. You know I'm not afraid to do it again. Don't give me an excuse to push it this time. Understand?"

My eyes slowly lost their glower as they settled their gaze on the remote. What could I do? I was human and defenseless. If I struggled, I'd only get beat up more than I already was. If I refused to do what Vlad ordered me, he'd blow up my dad. Sheesh. Not very many options.

Talk about being stuck between a rock and a hard place.

"Y-yeah," I coughed out in response. His grip on my throat was making talking nearly impossible. Wincing, I added, "I get it."

"You sure?" Vlad asked teasingly. His sly smile returned as he seemed to dangle the threat of my father's life above my head. "Maybe I should press it now and get the drama over with."

"Yes, Vlad, I get it!" I rasped eagerly. The man said and did nothing. He looked like he was mulling it over, to my sudden horror. Eyes wide, I begged the best I could with the mad man. "Come on, Vlad, please! I'll do what you say. Please! Just -- please!"

"I think I made my point," Vlad concluded finally. The sick man probably just wanted to see me squirm and plead. He was serious again as he told me, "One false move, Daniel, and I won't hesitate on destroying your father. Remember this before you even open your mouth."

Without warning, the ghost took his hand away from my throat, letting me drop free. I landed on my hands and knees with a short yelp. My head spun, and for a second I thought I was gonna fall over or faint. Thankfully, a few deep gasps helped to clear my head and give me enough strength to keep myself upright.

"Hell 2.0, here I come," I muttered.

A/N: Hm. Kinda a short chapter, but it does its purpose. Well, this fic seems to be well on its way to being something very fun to write. I've hashed out ideas in my head, and I'm coming up with some dark but interesting concepts and plot points. I'm not sure how they are all gonna come together, but I believe it will all work out in the end. The next two chapters might be slow, but bear with me 'cause they do serve a purpose to the plot. That's all I gotta say. I'll catch you guys next weekend! I have plenty of time this week to respond to reviews, so review away if you wish to do so!


	4. Chapter 4 Truth Issues

A/N: Well, this turned into a nice, long chapter. I believe it's sort of slow, but that's just me. I'm a sucker for action. Anyways, not much else to say but that you readers are awesome and I enjoyed responding to your reviews last week! Enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own any Danny Phantom character, but the rest is all mine.

Chapter 4 Truth Issues

With a calm, serene smile, I threw back my arm and casted the line with perfect precision. It flew out beyond my view, settling upon a puffy cloud that looked a lot like a bunny in the distance. From my perch on another just as fluffy cloud, I was a picture of relaxation. Not an ounce of worry could be seen on my face or in my body language.

Heh. That was a first.

Behind me was my dad. He was in his dorky fishing gear, complete with that lame hat that had those pinned on hooks and tackle. We shared smiles. He looked so happy. I mean, he usually looks happy, but this was different. He was happy because he was with me. I'll admit that I was cool with that.

As you can tell from my dad and I fishing in the sky that this was a dream. But it was a good dream, and I wasn't gonna squash it by trying to wake up. Being awake would only present me with the nightmare of being Vlad's little pet. I really didn't want reality at the moment. I wanted this delusional dreamland...if only for a moment. In this dream stress didn't seem to exist. This fantasy playing out in my head contained only of an endless blue sky, shifting clouds of cotton, a light breeze that soothed all the emotions, and the best company anyone could ask for.

The thought of this world ending wasn't even a possibility in my head. A good dream is a good dream. When you're me and you have the hectic life of a teenage ghost superhero who has recently been trapped and kidnapped by your arch enemy, you take as many good dreams as you can.

Too bad nothing of that happy sort lasts long for me. Seriously, it's like the universe hates me. I realized this nasty fact when the clouds started to gray and darken. The vivid colors from before seemed to be getting the life sucked out of them as my dream world began to fade. Gasping, I looked behind me to see my dad had vanished. I was all alone. I don't know why, but being alone scared the heck out of me.

Suddenly, lightning split the sky not more than a foot away from where I sat. The air around me fizzled and cracked before it exploded with a deafening boom of thunder that made me give a loud cry of alarm. Rain exploded from the clouds above, pelting me with cold drops that soaked me to the core in less than five seconds. A fierce wind blasted into me, threatening to knock me off my cloud. Wide eyed and freaked out of my mind, I tried to keep my position as the elements took up arms against me.

The lightning attacked with cold hearted accuracy. It knocked into me, instantly zapping all my muscles and rendering me to the likeness of a rag doll. All I could do was give a strained cry of agony as my weak body fell over the edge of the cloud and began to plummet downward like a lead weight being dropped from a tall building.

The elements continued their destructive wake upon the sky as I kept falling. There was no cloud to catch my dangerous descent into darkness. I could do nothing to stop it. I was powerless.

I was always powerless.

"_If you find any bags or items unattended, please alert the nearest TSA officer. Thank you."_

Gasping softly, I jolted awake at the sound of the recorded airport message blasting over the loud speakers. My heart was racing and sweat stuck to my forehead. It took me a second to realize I had only been dreaming. A second more and I realized I was leaning against Vlad's shoulder in my airport seat.

That creeped me out. I hated it when he got near me. How could I willingly slump toward him in my sleep? Gah, this was so messed up!

Grunting in my frustration, I sat up in my seat and rubbed the side of my sweaty face with a tired limb, trying to wipe the sleepiness away. Dreams like that one always put me in a foul mood. Didn't help that I woke up in the Fort Lauderdale airport, leaning up against the man who was going to make the next two weeks of my life miserable. Add in my sudden hunger, and you got one displeased teenager.

Vlad must have noticed my mood. Didn't take a genius to see that I was bothered. He saw it anyways as he read his newspaper. He folded the paper and draped it over his knee while he fished into his inside jacket pocket for his wallet. He pulled out some dollars and handed them to me saying, "You've been very patient and well behaved, Daniel. Go get yourself something to eat or drink. Don't wander out of eyesight, though."

I stared down at the cash in my palm with a bitter smile. Looking over to Vlad, I asked him with a humorless chuckle, "You trying to bribe me now?"

"If that's what you want," the man responded indifferently. He straightened out his paper and continued to read its news as if he was some normal person.

I frowned. He was ignoring me, wasn't he? "I'm not for sale," I adamantly told him, shaking my fist with the money in it. "You can't buy me like this, okay?"

"Then consider it an act of kindness," he said without even looking up.

"Kindness? You? Don't make me laugh," I spat back. "Everything with you is some ulterior motive. This money for food is just you sucking up to me so I will shut up or something. I'm not playing whatever game you're orchestrating, you got that? I'm-."

Vlad let out a heavy sigh either from irritation or boredom. He took his eyes off the newspaper and pinned his hard stare on me. Oh boy! He was pretty serious by the look of things. I instantly clammed up in mid sentence for the fear of my well being.

Leaning toward me, Vlad grabbed the other end of the money in my hand. His uncharitable glare was still boring into me as he asked, "Do you want dinner or not?"

I was about to tell him no, but my treacherous stomach betrayed me with a hungry gurgle before I could get the words out of my mouth. My willpower wanted to stand up to the man any way I could, but my stomach pleaded for a truce of some kind. After a moment of thought, I realized this battle wasn't worth it. I needed nourishment. Starving myself wasn't going to do me any good or give me an upper hand against Vlad.

"Yes," I finally said glumly.

For a second I feared Vlad was going to be the bully he was and yank the money away despite my answer. Instead, he gave a short nod and let go without another word. He returned to his newspaper like nothing happened.

Odd. Very odd. Why was he being so nice? Well, nice wasn't exactly the right word. Hm. It would be more like...tolerant. I didn't understand.

No time to think about that. My hunger took over a second later as I got up and wandered around, looking for the right place to eat. A pizza joint on the corner looked good. I got into line and ordered a slice of pepperoni while trying to shake the eerie feeling that I was being monitored. I probably was. Vlad was pretty paranoid and had to be watching me like a hawk. I didn't care to glance back at him, though. It would just make myself look paranoid...and I wasn't paranoid...was I?

Great. I was going crazy already. Guess that comes with the whole getting kidnaped by Vlad thing. Didn't think it'd kick in this early in the game, though. At least last summer I didn't start going bonkers for at least a week. Oh, this was gonna be fun.

"Here's your change, man," the cashier said, dropping the coins into the cup I made with my hand. My head was somewhere else, but I thanked the guy with a faint smile as I gathered up my pizza and soda. He wasn't even looking at me. The college kid was busy checking a text on his cellphone. Typical.

I turned to leave and give room for the next person in line. I didn't get far.

"Oh, hey! Wait, kid!" the guy called me back. Feeling the eyes of Vlad on me, I turned to adhere to the cashier's needs. He leaned over the counter, ignoring the frowns of annoyance from the waiting customers. Holding up his open phone for me to see, he asked me with great interest, "You Danny?"

"Uh...," was my beautifully pithy answer. How'd he know that? Trying to solve this mystery, I leaned forward to read the text he was showing me. It said, _Tell your last customer that his friends are watching him. We got your back, Danny!_

It wasn't signed or anything, but I knew for sure that it was Sam and Tuck. My spirits soared at the sight of the short message. I didn't know how they knew exactly where I was, but that didn't really matter. At least they had known something was up and were being awesome friends by sticking to my side. It was a really nice feeling.

"Excuse me," the lady who had been next in line spoke up suddenly. The cashier and I looked over at her immense form towering over us. She was like a boulder with legs. A number of boxes of pizza slices were in her arms, as if she was preparing to feed a family of six...that lived in her stomach. She grunted at us impatiently, "I want to pay for my food already. I'm not waiting here so you can talk to your friend."

"He's not my friend. I don't even know him," the cashier pointed out. He looked scared, as if he thought the woman was going to eat him. I wouldn't put it past her.

"Sorry, dude," I decided to step in before the lady brought out the fork and knife. "You got the wrong guy. I'm not Danny." Acting out of self preservation, I set my change onto the counter and said, "Keep the change as a tip."

"Oh," the guy said, staring dumbfound at his phone. "My bad." He scratched the back of his head in confusion as I left again. I gave a guilty smile when a moment later I heard the lady whine loudly, "I'm waiting!"

I kept the smile off my face as I sat down beside Vlad with my dinner in my lap. I'm sure he had seen the entire thing. He knew I'd read that text. I needed to lie fast for the sake of my friends. It had been a while since I'd played this extreme game of wits with Vlad. While on the outside I played it chill and cool, my brain on the inside was desperately raking itself for a plausible excuse.

"What was that about?" Vlad finally asked.

"That," I said with my mouth full of pizza because beating around the bush by stopping to chew would only seem suspicious, "was a miscalculation on his part. You see, he added the change up wrong."

Vlad seemed to mull this over for a second, working out all the kinks to my lie in that short moment. "So why did he show you his cell phone?" he asked.

"'Cause he used the calculator on it to add up the change again," I answered after taking a swig of my Sprite. "So he showed it to me on there so I could see it for myself. I just gave him back the change. That's what my parents do. Besides, it was your money." I smiled wickedly as I added, "And I don't mind wasting that."

"Uh huh." He didn't sound convinced. This was where I'd have to pull some acting skills out of my butt.

"What? You don't believe me?" I asked him critically, sounding indignant. It wasn't too hard of an act to play. Being angry with Vlad was something that came naturally.

He didn't answer.

"Oh my gosh, Vlad! You're so paranoid!" I told him, purposefully raising my voice. "What? You gonna interrogate, reprimand, or slap me on the hand every time a complete stranger talks to me or looks at me wrong?"

"Maybe I should," he said tersely, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. He didn't like my volume and was trying to quell it with with his own quietness.

His steely eyes calmly scanned the crowd that rushed around us. There were business people in fresh, ironed suits and skirts quickly making their way to and fro. Pilots and TSA officers rushed by in uniforms. Ragged looking parents with young ones were either practically dragging their kids to the gates or were trying to keep up with the energetic ones. A group of teenagers all wearing the same colored blue shirts sat and goofed off in the gate across from ours. I wondered where they were all heading. A lone teenager sat off to the side on the floor in our gate. He wore a baggy hoodie that hid most of his face, but it was clear that he was tired beyond belief. I totally knew that feeling.

I gave a slow sigh before biting into my pizza again. Chewing listlessly, I decided not to bring the subject up again. It would only look questionable, and I wanted the whole cellphone thing to be shrouded in ambiguity. I tried not to sweat too much in my anxiety.

"You know what will happen if you do something wrong," Vlad said after a long pause. His voice, though placid, held a biting sting to it. "I'll just have to trust in that punishment to monitor your actions."

"You can stop rubbing that in," I said with a feeble frown. "I get the picture." Someone in the group of teenagers finished a joke and the whole throng burst into different levels of laughter. I glanced Vlad's way before saying, "But what I don't get is the _whole_ picture. You said you'd tell me your plans in the morning. Well, it's dinner time, and I still haven't heard a single line from your plan."

"You weren't exactly in the listening mood this morning," Vlad said in his defense.

"Getting your ass kicked doesn't put you in the greatest of listening moods," I grumbled.

"I wasn't the one who threw that pillow at my face."

"Come on! You had that one coming."

"That kick to the knee wasn't necessary either."

"It at least made me feel better," I admitted with a delighted grin that couldn't be hidden.

"I'm glad. As long as you're feeling spectacular, I'm happy," he said, the sarcasm cutting deep.

"Still bitter, I see," I chuckled. Maybe I was enjoying this a little too much.

"For someone who wants to hear my plans, you're sure going about it in an unorthodox way," he said, tone returning to normal. "Almost as if you don't want an answer at all."

"Fine," I said in relinquishment. A gloating smile still hung on my lips. "Go ahead. I'll shut up now."

"If that's possible," he muttered off-handedly.

"I could sit here and chat your ear off if you want me to," I offered.

"Heaven forbid," the man said half jokingly, letting himself express a tiny smile. He finally took his eyes off the crowd, setting his stare on me. For a split second, we shared competitive smiles; second later, my gaze moved away and my grin had vanished.

I didn't like what just happened between Vlad and I. That was never supposed to happen. Still, it happened. I decided to ignore it. Hopefully, it wouldn't happen again and we could just keep going with hating each other like it has always been.

A pause hung between us. Getting over the bizarre sharing of smiles, I listlessly watched as a tourist couple ran down the hallway, looking completely lost and out of time. The wife held onto her big straw hat and the husband looked winded from carrying her luggage as well as his own as they sprinted to their gate.

"You've probably already figured we're on our way to Ecuador," Vlad began.

"No duh," I said. "'Cause the plane ticket didn't give that one away."

"We'll land in Quito and take a helicopter to Otavalo where the ranch is."

"Ranch? Like horseback riding and cows kind of ranch?"

"Correct," he said with an approving nod. "Although my uncle doesn't have as many cows as he did when he first started. He likes his horses more."

"I thought Ecuador was all jungles and mountains and stuff," I said, confused about what I was trying to remember from map quizzes in 8th grade. Pausing, Vlad's words finally sunk in. "Wait," I said, "what's this about your uncle?"

"He owns the entire ranch," Vlad answered. "I've been meaning to see him for years, but I never got around to it till now. I have a feeling you'll enjoy his company."

"If he's anything like Katsumi, I doubt it," I muttered. The tainted memory of Vlad's old and crazy girlfriend resurfaced. That had been one messed up chick. Even more messed up than Vlad...if that was possible.

Vlad chuckled at either what I said or some inside joke. "No," he assured me. "My uncle isn't psychotic. You have nothing to fear. He's one of the few people in this world I've thought of trusting, if that means anything to you."

"So either he's a great guy, or he's exactly like you," I grumbled. "Perfect. I feel oh so safe now, Vladdy. Thanks. And will I have to pretend to be your son this time around too?" I hated to ask the dreaded question, but I wanted to be prepared.

"No. That won't be necessary," Vlad answered with a sneakily amused grin. "There won't be any need for secrets at my uncle's ranch. As I've already told you, he's a man I can somewhat trust. He's already kept my ghost powers a secret for so many years. I don't think keeping yours will be a problem."

"Hmph," was my only response. I didn't like having more people join in on the knowledge of my ghost powers. I was okay with Sam and Tucker knowing. I'd trust them with my life. But it was hard to have Jazz knowing. I'm over it now, but it took months for me to get used to her. It was disturbing to know that people I didn't know or had even seen knew my secret.

"I told you not to worry about it," Vlad said as if he read my mind. His voice sounded sincere as he said, "This trip is a vacation of sorts, Daniel. The only reason why I'm bringing you along is because I offered to take care of you while your parents were away."

"Really?" I said, nonplussed by his words. No matter how nice the man pretended to be, it would always be a facade. It would be wise of me not to believe everything he said.

"You don't believe me?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. "And who was just accusing me of not believing in them?"

"That was different," I protested, instantly becoming mad for some reason. "You were being paranoid."

"So are you with all your weariness toward me," Vlad countered swiftly. "It's not like I'm lying to you with every word that comes out of my mouth, Daniel. If you want me to start trusting you, you first must learn to trust me."

I didn't know what to say to that. Being speechless only made me angry with Vlad and myself. Gritting my teeth, I looked away from his face and glared out at the bustling crowd. I thought I saw the exhausted kid to the side looking at me, but when I glared in his direction his head was resting on his bent knees. This paranoia was getting to me.

I really hated to say it, but Vlad made a good point. The want to scream came upon me then. This whole thing was so frustrating! I didn't know what to do or think anymore.

"So what's the real reason we're going to Ecuador?" I asked him finally. I wasn't gonna give up on the subject so quickly.

"I'll tell you as soon as you tell me what that cellphone business was," Vlad said with a placid smile. He was enjoying this, wasn't he? It made my blood boil.

"I told you. The guy counted the change wrong!"

"Whatever you say."

"You said you'd tell me your plans," I argued adamantly. "How can I ever trust you if you don't ever do what you say you'll do?"

"I did say what you are going to do. You're going to enjoy a splendid vacation on my uncle's ranch," he said with as much calmness as someone drinking tea and talking about the weather. It was infuriating!

"But that's not true!" I practically yelled at him.

"If you want the truth from me, then _you_ must first tell the truth," he told me with a scathingly malign smile.

I wanted to hit him. Very badly. Instead, I got up while growling, "You're impossible!"

"Where are you going?" he asked with curiosity. The insult I just threw at him didn't even seem to register.

"I'm going...for a walk," I muttered, hesitating for a second because I wasn't so sure what I wanted to do when I first got out of my seat. All I knew was that being around Vlad for another minute was going to make me snap. I couldn't allow that.

I stared boldly at the man, daring him to defy me. He thoughtfully took me in before sitting back in his chair and saying slowly, "Go ahead. Don't go out of sight, and be back no later than a half an hour from now."

Given the green light, I said nothing as I stormed off with a perturbed glare. It took me a few minutes to get my high strung emotions under control and to think clearly. I stopped to lean against a wall to catch my thoughts, shoving my hands into my pockets with a somber look descending upon my features. One thing was for sure: this wasn't the same game I had come to know and hate. This round had a different tactic, a tactic I was failing at grasping correctly. Like I said before, it was driving me crazy!

I wish I knew what his goal from all this was. I wish I knew why he was being so tolerant of me or why he was giving me more freedom than before. I wish I knew a lot of things about Vlad, actually. He knew so much about me. He knew where I went to school, knew who my friends were, knew my parents a bit too well, knew all about my powers, knew exactly which buttons to press to piss me off, and knew many of my weaknesses. What did I know about Vlad? That he was some evil genius fruit loop with ghost powers that liked hitting on my mom. With sad realization, I saw that it wasn't very much information. While Vlad probably had multiple files about me and my life, my information concerning him could be compiled onto a single sheet of paper.

Sighing in unresolved irritation, I picked at the watch fused to my wrist while trying to think it through. I tugged a little too hard on the accessory and received a less than mild shock. All it did was surprise me, but it sure did get the point across. That didn't happen last summer. Guess Vlad upgraded the thing. Joy. Just what I needed: more confirmation that I was helpless.

No. I wasn't helpless. My pride refused to believe I couldn't make this work. Although it looked pretty bleak at times in Tokyo, things still managed to turn out rather decent. It was still early in the game. I hadn't lost just yet. I'd just have to watch my step with Vlad. I couldn't lose my cool.

It was resolved then. I'd try to stay calm. Slowly but surely I'd find out Vlad's evil plans. I just hoped I'd figure them out in time to come up with a counter plan to stop 'em or fix them. Sheesh. This superhero business was gonna be the death of me.

Ten minutes later, I was back at Vlad's side as I collapsed into the seat next to him. The man glanced away from his paper to look at me, mild amusement showing in the from of a smile. "That seemed to work," he commented. "You're much better at handling your anger this time."

"I should get dessert for the accomplishment," I muttered. Sarcasm was all I could muster at this point. Anything else would just get me angry.

My eyebrows rose in surprise when Vlad dangled a new wad of cash in front of my face. I hadn't been serious when I mentioned dessert as a reward. But if Vlad was willing to spend the money, why not take advantage?

"Take it as an act of kindness," he said with a sly grin.

"Act of kindness. Bribery. All the same to you," I said, snatching the money out of his grip. Getting to my feet, I left Vlad, saying, "In the end, it just means I get ice cream."

A/N: Although I thought I'd have tons of pages written over spring break, unfortunately, a little sickness has delayed such typing. Ah well. At least I'm prepared for another update next weekend. Hopefully the start of more school won't slow me down too much.

Okay. Enough of my rambling. I hope you guys liked the chapter. Please review! I'll see you guys next weekend!


	5. Chapter 5 Dangerous Thoughts

A/N: So I really wanted to have this chapter longer, but I totally didn't get the time to do it this week. Ah well. That's college life. Besides, there are plenty of good nuggets in this chapter. I really wanted to introduce Vlad's uncle, but that will be saved for next update apparently. Guess that gives me more time to think about his character.

Anyways, I'm rambling. I really wanted to answer all reviews for last chapter, but I didn't get the time to. So I'm sorry to the people I didn't get to! I love responding. Just no time. But we need to move along, so here's this week's chapter. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Own? Nope.

Chapter 5 Dangerous Thoughts

"No! Stop!" I shouted as my mom turned around another corner. Again, she didn't answer or give a single glance behind her. It confused and pained me to get that reaction. Usually she was always there by my side like the mother she was. What was wrong with her?

Legs feeling tired after running for what seemed like hours in this maze of endless hallways, I continued my futile chase. Sweat was like another layer of skin now. I felt exhausted, but I wasn't going to quit till I caught up with my mom. I just wanted to see her face. I wanted her to see that I hadn't given up on her. If I could just get closer so she could hear me or if I could touch her, she'd see.

Turning the corner in a slide, I saw that we'd run into a dead end. My mom was at the very end, turning around. My heart leapt with hope. She'd would have to see me now!

"Danny?" mom said. She looked taken aback but happy to see me there.

"Mom!" I shouted, this time out of joy. A grin popped onto my face. I'd been running for so long and now finally I was getting a reward for it.

We ran toward each other. In those few seconds, I felt a deepening sense of foreboding and danger. The feeling pressed down on me, smothering all other senses. It constricted around my chest, making it hard to breathe. I felt like I was running through water. Fear of something unknown gripped my heart. Because of this crippling anxiety, I picked up my speed and desperately ran for my mom with an outstretched hand. I needed to help her, save her from the danger that was coming.

Our fingertips brushed against each other just as the danger struck. Something wrapped around my ankle and yanked me off my feet. At the same time, a black, gooey substance grabbed my mom around the waist. She gave a frightened, frustrated scream as she was pulled away from me. She was dragged to the far wall where the goo was coming from. I could see the panic and terror in her eyes as she began to be swallowed up by the goo.

Grunting with effort, I kicked at the goo at my ankle to try and free myself. When that didn't work, I tried going intangible. Nothing happened. With sick realization, I registered that my powers didn't work. Panic threatened to take over. Choking on the feeling, I pushed it down and struggled pathetically against the goo that was slowly pulling me away from my mom.

"No! Get off her!" I screamed as I watched the goo engulf my mom and suck her into the wall. My stomach seemed to drop sickly when she disappeared completely into the goo. She had kicked and screamed the entire time, but it wasn't enough. I hadn't been strong enough to protect or save her. It was too late now.

More goo tentacles from the wall grabbed me. They dragged me toward the wall as if they were leading me to my grave. I felt like a dying fish that had been caught by a jellyfish. I wasn't going down without a fight, though. Lashing out like a trapped animal, I vainly wrestled for liberty. Every muscle in my body went to work as I strained, kicked, and wrenched in distress.

Eventually, I was at the wall and staring out at the empty hallway. I gritted my teeth to try and quell the overwhelming feeling of defeat. It didn't work. Mom was gone. I would soon be next.

The dark goo engulfed my head, submerging my sight into an endless void of blackness. I tried to gasp for a breath. Nothing filled my lungs. I could still feel my hand that hadn't been consumed yet. It grasped hopelessly at the air, for life, until ultimately it too was swallowed up.

"_Danny!"_ I faintly heard my mom call my name from somewhere in the darkness. I wanted to call back, but my voice had vanished. I tried to move to find her, but my body was frozen in place. It was like being buried alive.

"_Danny!"_

My eyes flashed open as I jolted awake from the nightmare. Sweat trickled down my back. Breathing heavily in relief and perplexity, I realized that I had Vlad's forearm in a death-grip. Swallowing away the memory and the feeling of fear, I slowly let go to Vlad's arm.

"Are you alright?" Vlad asked me. He sounded concerned as he placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Nightmare," I explained with a fretful nod. A really vivid nightmare. I seriously thought it was real. The feelings from the dream were still effecting me. They lingered in the corners of my brain, still alerting me to a certain danger. Forcing myself to release a large sigh to calm my nerves, I looked around the airplane cabin in hopes that I wasn't attracting too much attention. No one gave me any heed. I just looked like an air-sick kid on his first flight.

"Another one?" Vlad said. The concern was gone. Curiosity now filled his voice. "How many have you had recently?"

"Can I not be interviewed right now?" I asked, bending over as a swell of nausea hit me.

"I'm only asking because they could be a side effect from the upgrades on your watch," Vlad explained. "I might be able to fix it."

"This is only the second nightmare, okay," I said. Miserably, I rubbed the side of my face and tried not to think about the icky sensation going on in my stomach.

"Do you usually have nightmares when stressed?" Vlad asked as if he was a doctor.

"Not really," I mumbled.

Vlad leaned toward me, asking, "Are you sick?"

"I'm fine," I lied. Closing my eyes to block the world out, I told the man, "But if I do barf, I'll make sure to vomit in your direction."

Vlad lightly squeezed my shoulder as if to comfort me. He picked up his plastic cup filled with water from the tray table and offered it to me, saying, "Here, drink this. We'll be landing soon. We'll need to move fast. The helicopter is waiting for us now because of the hour delay."

I glanced at the cup, to Vlad unsurely, and then back at the cup. Shoving the feeling of hesitation away, I took the cup with a mumbled thanks before sipping from it. The chilled water felt good going down my dry, craggy throat. It seemed to clear my senses. Slowly, I started to calm down.

"Would you like to talk about your nightmares?" Vlad asked suddenly.

Instant annoyance crossed my face. Come on! Did he really expect me to open up to him like that? "No, Vlad," I said flatly. "I don't want to talk about it, especially with you. Actually, how 'bout we don't talk? That would be nice."

"Was it really that bad?" he said, smirking. "You don't think this is another dream that might come true like the one that fox spirit sent you last summer?"

"It was just a nightmare," I made clear. "And whatever happened to not talking?"

"I'm ignoring that request," he said just to spite me. I shot him a glare. Couldn't he see that I was in no mood? Acting like the teenager I was, I decided to tune the man out for the rest of the trip. As he continued to prod me with questions, I listlessly turned toward the window and silently watched the brightly lit city of Quito get bigger as the plane descended.

Vlad gave up on me after a few minutes. I watched his reflection in the window as he quietly sat back in his seat to leave me alone. He didn't look annoyed, only perplexed with my actions. I didn't want to believe he cared. Vlad never cared. If he did, there was always some secret meaning behind the feeling. I couldn't believe I was even considering Vlad had the capacity for the emotion.

As soon as the plane landed, Vlad was up out of his seat and ordering me to do the same. We hadn't taken any carry on items, so we were free to make a bee line for the exit. There was no surprise in me when Vlad practically shoved the other passengers in his way aside. Trying to keep up, I nimbly squeezed through bodies and jumped over limbs that stuck out in my pathway.

Near the front, a teenager was having trouble with getting his luggage out of the overhead bin. He tugged on his backpack's strap to free it, but it was lodged in there tight. Grunting in vexation, the teen gave one last strong pull. The move worked, but maybe too well.

"Whoa! Watch it!" I cried as the backpack came tumbling down on my unsuspecting head. Although it whacked me in the head, I managed to catch the thing before it hit the ground. I rubbed my smarting skull, wincing as I handed the backpack to the teen.

"T-thanks," the guy stuttered as he reluctantly took the bag from my hand. I recognized him at that point as the tired kid who had been sitting on the floor at the gate in Florida. He gave me a timid smile as he fixed the hood on his sweatshirt.

"No problem," I said over my shoulder, quickly trying to catch up with Vlad who was already on the walkway leading to the inside of the airport. I didn't have the time to have a conversation with the dude. Jeez, Vlad was fast.

Before exiting the plane, I gave one brief glance back into the cabin. The kid with the backpack slung the bag over his shoulder as he opened up his palm with a wad of bills now sitting in it. A firm frown was on his lips, but that was the only thing I could see because of the hood. I briefly wondered what he was so upset about. Second later, the kid was the least of my worries because I had lost sight of Vlad.

Wait a minute. I lost Vlad? Weird. Last summer he stuck to me like an obnoxious piece of gum on the bottom of my shoe. Now it seemed like he was trying to ditch me. Wasn't like I was complaining about it. I was just confused with the freedom.

In a light jog, I traveled down the tunnel that connected the plane to the building to try and catch up with the man. Don't get me wrong. The last thing I wanted was to follow the guy, but I knew he'd get angry if he thought I was trying to escape. He might use that remote to hurt my dad. Although there was an illusion of independence, I was still in Vlad's tight grip. It was best for me to remember that.

"Where were you?"

"Whoa!" I gasped, jumping away from Vlad as he seemed to materialize beside me the second I stepped out of the walkway. The man blinked in surprise at my reaction before grinning. "Don't do that!" I growled at him. "Jeez. Give me a heart attack, why don't you?"

"Boy, you're jumpy. I didn't mean to frighten you," Vlad chuckled at my expense. He again led the way at a swift pace. I struggled to keep up with his long strides. "What delayed you?"

"Some kid with a backpack that beaned me," I said. Since my mind returned to the subject, I remembered the guy looking at the money in his palm. I tried to remember if he had the money when I gave him back the backpack. A questionable frown crossed my features as I dug a hand into my jean pocket and searched for the change I'd gotten for the ice cream. It was all gone except for the pennies and dime!

"What's the matter?" Vlad asked. He shot me a quizzical glance at the look of shock on my face.

"He totally just pick-pocketed me!" I said in astonishment.

"The child with the backpack?"

"Yeah! But...how? When?"

"That's the art of pick-pocketing, boy," Vlad told me with an amused grin. "You're not supposed to know when and how. When his backpack dropped on you, that's likely when he made his move. No doubt he was watching you before you even got on the plane. That's how he knew you had money and where you put it."

"How do you know so much about this?" I asked grudgingly.

"My uncle taught it to me when I was your age," Vlad explained. I made a face. Figures he would know. I mean, this was Vlad we were talking about. He was a master thief. Seeing this blatant reaction from me, Vlad said, "Don't act like that, Daniel. You know full well that any kid your age would like to learn how to pickpocket or is at least curious. You can't condemn anyone who learns that method of petty thievery."

As he was saying this, we had arrived at the baggage claim. The turn table creaked laboriously as it carried various sizes of bags on its old, scratched surface. I thought about what Vlad has said as I snatched my duffle bag off the conveyor. He had a point. Before I'd been a victim of pick-pocketing, I kind of thought it was cool how someone could steal like that. It was an admirable skill of quick reflexes. I could use those reflexes, you know?

"I could teach you," Vlad offered suddenly.

I fumbled with my bag at these words. Flustered, I looked up at the man to see if he was serious. He patiently waited for my response. Fidgeting with the straps to my bag, I said without looking at Vlad, "No thanks, Vladdy. This superhero won't be that easily turned. Nice try."

"Suit yourself," Vlad said, shrugging indifferently.

I looked up at him, trying to read into his actions or tone. Was he really being this nice because he wanted to? Was this another trick? Everything in me said not to trust the evil man, but a small part in me wanted to give him at least a chance to redeem himself. Was I crazy to even think that way? It could be another one of his mind tricks. He's good at those. Also, I couldn't forget what he told me last summer about me coming to him willingly. But what if I was wrong? There was always a chance for that, right? I couldn't always be right. Wouldn't it be ethical or moral of me as a superhero to give Vlad a chance of some kind? I've always believed that people can change. Wasn't it hypocritical of me to refuse to believe Vlad could somehow do the same?

Jeez, I was confused!

Vlad was looking out over the crowd, oblivious to my stare for a minute or two. Abruptly, his eyes found mine. That all-knowing, cocky smirk I hated flashed over his features as he asked me, "What is it, Daniel?"

I opened my mouth to ask him something profound or around those lines, but the words didn't seem to want to come out. For a moment I looked like a dying goldfish with my mouth open before my brain seemed to catch up with me and I said lamely, "Nothing."

"Good," Vlad said, lugging his bag off the conveyor. He gave me a quick glance as he said half jokingly, "because we don't have time for a philosophical debate that would lead into another one of your tantrums. We have a helicopter to catch."

A/N: There you have it. A very non cliffhanger ending. I'm so used to cliffhangers that I had trouble wrapping this chapter up like this on short notice. I had planned for a much longer chapter. Anyways, I want to update next weekend, but I might not have enough written by then. If I have more than four pages worth, I'll post. Anything less, I won't and you guys will have to wait another week. Hopefully, I'll see you guys next weekend!


	6. Chapter 6 Uncle Aleksey

A/N: Sorry about the week delay. Sheesh. Homework is threatening to kill me, but I'm not going down without a fight! Anyways, the movie How to Train Your Dragon really inspired the creative side in me this week, so I forced some hours in the week to dedicate to writing this chapter and the next. Go out and see the movie! It will probably be my favorite of the year. Besides that advertisement, enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: Yeah...I don't own any of the Danny Phantom characters. But I do own Vlad's Uncle character in this chapter. So no stealing!

Chapter 6 Uncle Aleksey

Feeling and hearing the firm _click_ of my seatbelt synching into place, I glanced out of the small window on my side of the helicopter with a look of unbridled excitement on my face. I had been trying not to show it for a while, but it was obvious I was enthusiastic about the helicopter ride. I mean, come on! It was a _helicopter_! Who wouldn't want to ride in one? Exactly! Only those people with the fear of heights.

I was glad not to be part of that group of acrophobic people as the copter initially took off. As we ascended gracefully into the dark sky, my stomach dropped in one of those roller coaster good ways. I was reduced to a fascinated five-year-old, my face practically pressed against the window to watch the city lights twinkle out of existence the farther we flew.

Soon the land was dotted with looming mountains created out of leafy jungle. It was too dark to see much as we weaved our way through the forest of mountains. A few houses that were scattered about in small towns warmly glowed like small beacons in valleys, the few plain areas, and nested on the side of the mountains. Besides them, there were the stars. They shined so brightly, each looked like a separate flash light in the sky. It was rare to see them like that. It was pretty cool.

The best part about the trip was the fact that Vlad didn't say a single word to me. The cabin was too loud for a conversation, thankfully. He could have talked me over the headphones we wore, but he somehow refrained. I caught him a few times glancing with a smile at me but nothing more than that. Creeper.

A little more than an hour later, we had arrived at Vlad's uncle's ranch. From above, I could see the large house. It was much bigger than expected. Made expertly out of stone and thick, rich logs, the house had a wooden gambrel roof, a full wrap-a-round porch, and at least three floors. It was more like an expensive ski resort in the middle of grassy nowhere than the Mexican-type ranch I expected. A wooden barn sat a little ways away from the main house to complete the picture.

The helicopter slowly landed in the front yard. The wind from the rotating blades made the tall grass sway like the waters of a stormy ocean. As the helicopter kissed the ground, the main doors to the house opened and a silhouette stood in the bright doorway for a second before it walked toward the chopper with a lantern in hand. More people came out of the house with lanterns. They bustled toward us with a sense of purpose. I guessed they were the helping hand.

"Leave your bags, Daniel," Vlad ordered me as we unbuckled ourselves. "The servants will take care of them." I didn't grant him an audible response. Instead, I gave a shrug and followed him outside after dumping my headphones on my seat.

"Ah ha! Vlad, my son! It has been too long!" a boisterous voice boomed over the dwindling hum of the copter blades. Rounding the aircraft, I saw Vlad and who I assumed was his uncle giving each other a great bear hug. The two laughed heartily at the reconnection with each other, patting each other's backs heartily.

It was weird seeing Vlad like this again. Last summer I'd seen a more human side to Vlad because of his and Katsumi's old relationship. Now those old thoughts of odd conviction were coming back. Seeing him so friendly with his uncle, I saw that Vlad was more human than he probably wanted to be. That was a good thing, right? I wasn't so sure what was right anymore.

"Oh, this must be Danny!" Vlad's uncle suddenly said as he spotted me. Automatically, I locked up. I was an instant deer in headlights as the man strode toward me. It was embarrassing.

It was obvious that Vlad and the man were related. The guy was tall, broad shouldered, silver haired, and had the same spark in his blue eyes that I'd seen in Vlad's millions of times. There was ambition and cunningness in them as if life was but merely a game to win at. He had to be in his mid or late 50's; a lot younger than I expected. Guess I had been anticipating some cranky, battle-worn old fart that Vlad held in too high esteem. That wasn't the case, though. His uncle might be a bit aged, but the way he moved made him look young and quick. He wasn't someone I wanted to mess with.

Shoving a large hand out for me to shake, the man introduced himself. "My name is Aleksey Masters. I am very pleased to finally meet you, son."

Managing a curt smile, I shook the man's hand, saying quickly, "I'm Danny."

"No, no, no," Aleksey said as we shook hands. Before I could pull my hand away, the man had my wrist in a firm grip. Instinctively, I pulled back like a skittish cat. "Wait. Hold on, boy," he told me calmly but sternly. "Now, when you shake a man's hand, Danny, you do not simply shake like you just did. A handshake shows that person your character. Here, you shake firmly like this." He shook my hand again to demonstrate. I tried to match his shake. Smiling, Aleksey exalted me, "There! That's how you do it! Tells a man you are confident. A good handshake will get your places, boy. Remember that."

"Uh...thanks," was the only thing I could think of to say.

Chuckling good-naturedly, Aleksey said while letting me go, "You're a good kid, Danny. What brings you here?"

I thought he already knew. Didn't Vlad tell him he was bringing along a kidnapped ghost kid? Confused and a bit bitter, I answered, "It wasn't my choice. Your psychotic nephew over there thought it would be fun to take me along for the ride even if I liked it or not, so this isn't exactly a vacation." I couldn't help but point the finger.

Aleksey grinned at the mention of Vlad as if he knew exactly what I was talking about. He glanced behind his shoulder at my kidnapper but said nothing to the frowning Vlad before turning his gaze back on me. Face turning more serious, Aleksey said, "I am sorry, Danny, that you have been put into this position. It must be hard. But I wish for you to enjoy your stay here at my ranch. I promise you will have a good time here, but you're going to have to promise me something in return."

"What's that?" I asked reluctantly.

"That you will stick around long enough to enjoy yourself," Aleksey answered with a warm, inviting smile. He must have seen the disbelief or confusion on my face because he quickly added, "You can not have fun if you keep a dower attitude, Danny. You must be willing to have fun to obtain it."

Had Vlad really meant it when he told me he brought me here for a vacation? Doubt it. The fruit loop was just using that as an excuse for something else that was deeper...maybe. Unwanted uncertainty clouded my head once again. As if my head was caught in a rut, I began to question Vlad and his motives to the point of mental exhaustion. Finally, the day had caught up with me and I was feeling helpless to stop it.

Bottom line: I was tired of thinking about it. I was sleepy, hungry, thirsty, and confused about by the very cornerstone of my superhero ethics. I wasn't in the position to make escape plans. Might as well give in just a little and see where it took me.

Lifting my shoulders into a indisposed shrug, I said, "Sure. Why not?" I lifted a finger, adding swiftly, "At least for one night. If I don't get the fun I was promised, though, I won't be a happy camper."

Aleksey burst into hearty laughter as he clapped me roughly on the shoulder. I tried not to collapse at the friendly blows. Jeez! For an old guy, he was strong! A weak smile crossed my face as the man bent down to retrieve his lantern. I caught Vlad's stare then. He chuckled at my bemused look. I returned it with a sharp frown to try and cover up my other emotions.

"You both must be hungry!" Aleksey seemed to announce with his loud voice. He looked back and forth between Vlad and I expectantly. I nodded my agreement with the statement.

"That would be nice, uncle," Vlad said. "Something small before we head off to bed."

"Sure, sure! Of course!" Aleksey said. He gestured for us to follow him to the ranch house. I walked on one side of Aleksey; Vlad on the other side. With the copter quiet now, I could hear the nighttime animal calls from the surrounding grass plains. Crickets chirped loud their constant song. Bugs buzzed about their business through the tall grass. The shrill calls from bats in the darkness were heard, but only a brief flap of a wing was all I could see past the light of the lantern.

We crossed the front porch and into the house, all the while Aleksey talking up a storm with Vlad. I felt like the two had locked their jaws on me and now I was being swept along for the ride. The day's last few hours felt like a whirlwind of sounds, colors, and emotions. I had given up on fighting the tide as I stepped into the house.

The place was so grand, I couldn't help but to fall silent as my eyes swept across the insides of the house's large living room. Clusters of leather couches, tastily decorated coffee tables, and round or square llama rugs formed areas of relaxation around the room. Exotic stuffed animals or just their heads hung on the walls or stood in the corners for impressive display. A fireplace I could probably walk into held the last handful of red, dying embers. Beside the creepy animal heads, the room was pretty cozy.

Aleksey took us across the living room, through a door in the back, down a hallway, and through another door to get us to the kitchen. Like the living room, the kitchen had a warm, wilderness feel to it. The only thing that was stainless steel was the fridge and stove top. Everything else was wooden, iron, clay, or made out of a slab of stone. Even a clay oven was there in the corner, cold and dormant until breakfast came around.

"Here, take a seat. Let Uncle Aleksey take good care of you," Aleksey ordered us as he brought up some stools for Vlad and I. As we sat, the man shuffled around the kitchen, prepping everything for us like the genial host he was.

As he put the kettle on the burner, Aleksey asked me, "What do you want to do while you are here, Danny?"

"I don't know," I answered. "What is there to do?"

"_What is there to do?_" he repeated in astonishment. Placing coffee mugs on the table, Aleksey shot Vlad a disapproving frown with his hands on his hips. "Vlad, have you not told the boy anything about my ranch?"

"Well, he did find out last minute," Vlad said, smiling in amusement. "I didn't want him to know too much." He gave me a scathing look, saying carefully, "Danny has proven in the past to get into trouble with the more information given to him."

"I wouldn't have to be so much trouble if it wasn't for you whisking me off to foreign countries against my will," I spat back. Accompanying my resigning attitude that night was my abandonment of fear for Vlad.

"He has a point, Vlad," Aleksey said, pouring coffee into our mugs.

"Don't take his side, uncle," Vlad said with a sneaky smile. "It doesn't fit you."

"I only take the side that is most logical," Aleksey reminded his nephew. The thin smile that hinted his lips was identical to one of Vlad's. It was an eerie thing to see.

"See, I make perfect sense," I teased Vlad, nudging his side with an elbow.

"There's a first time for everything," Vlad muttered as his uncle poured some hot milk into our mugs. I rolled my eyes and retreated back into silence. Giving Aleksey a nod and thanks, Vlad took a sip from his drink.

"Oh, you're very welcome," Aleksey said. He motioned for me to take a swig, saying, "That's a South American drink called café con leche. Very good, it is. Drink up and I'll tell you what plans we have for tomorrow."

Slowly, I took a tentative sip. I would never trust what Vlad gave me to eat or drink, but I figured Aleksey wasn't out to drug me...yet. The coffee had a soft taste to it from the milk and yet the flavor was still all there. It was pretty good. To show approval, I smiled at the man waiting for my opinion.

"Good! You like it," Aleksey observed enthusiastically. "Now, I thought we would go jaguar hunting tomorrow morning. How does that sound?"

"I...uh...um...," I stumbled out with, unsure of an appropriate response. Although I wasn't extreme like Sam who would probably have killed Aleksey for mentioning the harmful intent on a jaguar, I wasn't exactly for the killing of one. Not something that sounded fun, in my opinion. Beating up evil bad guys, yes. Beating up Vlad, hell yes! Killing innocent animals, no.

"You'll have to teach him to ride first," Vlad butted into the conversation, saving me from answering Aleksey's question.

"You don't know how to ride a horse?" Aleksey asked me, aghast.

"I know how to ride," I argued heatedly, snapping a quick glare in Vlad's direction.

"When was the last time you rode a horse?" Vlad asked. He flashed me an evil smile before saying, "At a petting zoo when you were five?"

"No!" I protested. I wasn't going to admit he had hit the mark perfectly. A man needs his pride somehow.

"Then when?" he challenged me, that vicious grin still on his features.

"Have you ever had the thought that you don't know_ everything_ about me, Vlad?" I asked. "Ever think that maybe I've learn to ride somewhere without your knowing?"

"Don't change the subject, Daniel."

"How 'bout you answer the question first?"

"Cease your mindless squabbling!"

Blinking in surprise, Vlad and I shut up long enough to look over at Aleksey who had given us the bellowed order. He gifted us with a hardened, disapproving frown. With his hands on his hips and towering stature of displeasure, I felt like a little kid being scolded for arguing with my sister about which side of the couch was hers and mine.

"No more of your foolish altercations! That goes for the both of you! It gets nobody anywhere. I will tolerate no more of it!" Aleksey reprimanded. I was surprised he didn't waggle his finger at us for our bad behavior. Still, I felt guilty repercussions for my child-like actions.

"Fine. I'll admit it. I don't know how to ride a horse. You happy now?" I said.

"We could have avoided all that if you had said so in the first place," Vlad pointed out cooly.

"Careful, you two," Aleksey warned us, voice low. He took our empty mugs away, muttering as he went to the sink, "Two ornery baby boys, is what they are. I do not like it."

Sensing the obvious bad mood everyone in the room was in, Vlad decided to put an end to it all. He got up from his stool, saying, "I think Danny and I will be getting to bed, uncle. We had a long day. Some sleep will be needed for tomorrow."

-Half An Hour Later-

Squirting a glob of toothpaste onto its brush, I released a frustrated sigh. This was too much freedom. It was was going beyond Vlad's normal tendencies and into the world of the unknown. I just couldn't put the pieces to the puzzle together. Even if I could, it wasn't fast enough.

Unlike my trip to Tokyo, this time I got my own room. That in itself was a big step for Vlad. He usually never lets me out of his sight. Now I had my own room! This was too weird. This whole trip was screwing with my brain.

The room was nice, though. Same feel as the rest of the ranch. Warm and cozy with a backcountry, outdoors sense to it. The lighting was orange and warm. The bed was made from rich, exotic wood that probably cost a fortune and half a rainforest. The dark purple blanket was made out of thick wool and had a star-like black design weaved into it. Pictures of horses, cowboys, and beautiful Ecuador landscapes hung on the walls. One wall sported the full pelt of some poor jaguar. An extremely soft llama rug covered most of the floor. The bathroom looked like the baby form of the main room, just with a sink, shower, and toilet.

One thing Vlad and Aleksey shared was vast amounts of money. In a way, it was kind of intimidating. I wasn't going to dwell on that feeling, though. There were more important things to think about.

I felt Vlad come in before I heard or saw him. My eyes took themselves off my reflection brushing its teeth in the mirror and settled on Vlad who stood nonchalantly in the bathroom doorway. I spat into the sink before asking, "What do you want? Here to torture me before I go to bed?"

"No," Vlad sighed in irritation. "I'm here to give your watch a quick look. If its what's giving you nightmares, I should be able to fix it."

"Oh."

"But," he continued in a flippant manner, "if you don't want me around, I'll just leave. Goodnight." He then left for the door.

I glared at myself in the mirror, quickly rolling over options and questions in my head. Was this a joke? Had he really come to fix the watch? What should I do? I could let him leave...but then maybe the nightmares would come back. Sleep that night would be horrible with the nightmares. But I really didn't want Vlad in my room. I was sick of the man. Should I risk a night of nightmares just because of my extreme distaste for the man?

It went against every bone in my body what I did next.

"Hey, wait!" I said urgently, peeking my head around the bathroom's doorframe. Vlad stopped at the door and looked over his shoulder at me curiously. I wrestled within myself for a second or two before I said unwillingly, "You can look at the watch, okay."

"If you say so," Vlad said with an uncaring wave of his hand.

As I finished brushing my teeth and rinsing, Vlad walked over to the bed and sat down on the edge with a tired sigh. I gave him a quick glance. He looked pretty sleepy and worn out like any human would after our trip. My body felt the same as his. For the first time in a long time, it wasn't hard to picture Vlad as being human like me.

I sat down beside Vlad and let him take my arm with the watch on it in his hands. He spun the combination on the watch face before pressing it in. I expected a lot of pain, but only a slight pins and needles sensation burst up my arm. Nothing more than a wince escaped me.

"That didn't hurt so bad," I noted with a thin smile.

"Good," Vlad said without looking at me. He was busy intently looking at whatever readings my watch was telling him. "That's another update I installed. It should give you less pain when I unlock it, but I couldn't fix anything for when your ghost powers are activated. Thankfully, you won't need your powers on this trip."

"Not even for a few minutes?" I asked hopefully.

"Only for emergencies," he told me sternly.

"Will there be a slight chance for an emergency?"

Vlad finally glanced at me, his lips curling in a slight grin of amusement. "Are you still fishing for answers from me, Daniel? I thought you'd give up already," he said.

"I'm persistent," I remarked, trying to not sound disappointed in my failed attempt to gather information.

"Right you are," Vlad sighed. "As well as obnoxious."

"Obnoxious is better than psychotic."

His eyebrows furrowed together. At first I thought it was because of me, but with a closer look Vlad looked more confused than perturbed. It had to do with the watch. He seemed to ponder about something for a minute before he made a conclusion and muttered, "That's odd. The scan shows nothing."

"What does that mean?"

Vlad clicked the watch back into its normal mode, making me cringe slightly. He leaned back on his hands on the bed and told me with a smile, "It means your nightmares are not connected to the watch." He lightly tapped my forehead with a finger, saying, "They're coming from up there."

"What? In my head?" I asked, puzzled and a bit troubled.

"Precisely." Vlad nodded. "The stress is simply getting to you, Daniel. Very frequently your dreams will reflect your fears at times of stress. This is natural."

"Not for me," I objected. "I hardly get nightmares 'cause of what you put me through. I'm constantly going through stress and crap! You know how hard it is to balance a 6 page report for school and ghost hunt at the same time? Well...not as bad as being kidnapped by my arch enemy and taken out of the country, but my point is that those vivid nightmares I had are not normal. Not for me."

"It's okay, Danny," Vlad said condescendingly, chuckling as he stood up to leave. "What you need to do is relax. You're worrying too much about something that isn't there. Remember, you're on vacation. Think of it as an apology from me for the one I stole from you last summer. Now, get some sleep. You'll have some fun tomorrow."

"But what if I have more nightmares?" I asked dubiously.

"Then count sheep."

"You have a lousy bedside manner," I grumbled up at him.

"You want me to hold your hand as you you go to bed, Daniel?" he asked with a reproachful scowl. His tone was like one of a dad addressing a fearful kid talking about the monsters under his bed. It rubbed me the wrong way and instantly pissed me off. "Is that it? Tuck you or something?"

"Ug! Forget it, Vlad!" I exploded in exasperation. I pointed at the door, ordering with the little amount of authority I had, "Just go!"

Vlad paused for a second as if thinking before he asking slyly, "You sure you don't want a bed time story?"

"Go!" I shouted. The yelling hadn't been necessary, though. Vlad was already on his way out the door, probably smiling at my anger...which only made me more infuriated with him and myself. He could so easily get me pissed. I spent the rest of the night wondering and strategizing how I could fix that about myself, and I fell asleep somewhere along the way.

Thankfully, no nightmares plagued my dreams that night. If I knew the nightmares that awaited me in the future, there wouldn't have been sleep my first night at the ranch.

A/N: Sorry for the little amount of action in this chapter. It's always good to build up to those actiony scenes, I believe. I promise there will be action in the next chapter, though. I'm like you readers; I'm itching for a fight of some kind. And I'll apologize ahead of time for not responding to reviews. This next week is gonna be very busy with the two research papers, homework, classes, and lathe lab. I'll see you guys next week!


	7. Chapter 7 Perro the Horse

A/N: Sorry about the delay again. I got extra busy 'cause of all the end of the semester stuff for university. So I decided to make this chapter a bit longer for you readers. Thankfully, school ends in two weeks and then I'll have more time to write. Well, enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own any the Danny Phantom characters.

Chapter 7 Perro the Horse

"Are you listening, Danny?" Aleksey asked me critically.

I'll admit it. My mind was nowhere near the lecture I was presently getting. I was still getting over the grand scenery. When Vlad and I had landed in the helicopter the other night, it had been too dark to see. But now a new day was starting, and the sun was sitting low and clear on the horizon like the perfectly yellow yoke of an egg. Just the short walk from the ranch house to the stable was jaw dropping. Rolling plains of grass spread out in every direction. They stopped only for the far off jungles of towering mountains that had peaks clawing at the clouds in the sky. One of them was an actual active volcano. It was awesome!

"Yeah. Sure," I said automatically. The standard answer to that question.

"Good!" Aleksey said with his usual enthusiasm. "Then hold this while I teach you how to saddle your horse."

"Okay...huh? Oh...wait...oof!" Clear, correct sentences escaped me as a whole western saddle and blanket was dumped into my arms. The stuff weighed a ton! The burden came as a surprise, and I almost collapsed under it.

"Now, you put the blanket on first," Aleksey instructed as I fought to stay upright. "Make sure to have everything out of your way first before you gently put the saddle on like so. Be careful not to spook your horse. Once that's done, lower your cinches, breast collar, and stirrup. The front cinch is very important. You want to gently make it snug like this. Watch what I do. Next is buckling the back cinch. Like...so. There! Now we buckle the breast collar. And that's it! Any questions?"

"Um...can you repeat that?" I asked, staring at my impatient horse in peer confusion.

"Which part?" he asked.

"All of it."

Aleksey let out an aggravated sigh and ran a hand through his wispy, silver hair. Apparently, I was slow on the uptake of horseback riding. I'd feel bad if I wasn't so genuinely confused and unmotivated. Why had I been forced out of bed at 7 in the morning? To ride a smelly horse? This was dumb.

"Having troubles, Daniel?" Vlad asked from where he was finishing up saddling his own horse.

"Possibly," I answered slowly and reluctantly. I really didn't want to be there that early morning, but this was better than pouting in my room all day. Besides, if Vlad wasn't going to watch my every step, I was gonna watch his. And that meant learning how to ride a stupid horse.

"Here, I'll give you a hand," Vlad said with an amused sigh. I gritted my teeth in frustration when I felt my cheeks flush in embarrassment when he so easily took the saddle out of my hands and put it on my horse's back. He motioned for me watch him as he showed me which chinches to tighten and buckle. In the end, though, he let me do all the work on my own.

"That it?" I asked when finished.

"Yes," he answered, walking away. "Now Aleksey will teach you how to steer your horse. Listen closely to him."

"Alright," I muttered.

Suddenly, I was faced with a problem. I didn't exactly know how to get on the horse. I sized the situation up as quickly as possible. Making a fool of myself wasn't on the to-do list today, but so far that's all I had been checking off. Now I faced the impossible task of getting on the horse which kept shuffling forward like it couldn't wait to get rid of me. I didn't blame it.

"Come on," I told the horse in a whisper. I sucked up my fear by gripping the horn of the saddle with both hands. "Stay still for just a second for me, okay? That would be great. Thanks."

With a mighty jump, I flung myself up onto the saddle...and failed miserably. All I managed to do was get off the ground, my body draped over the saddle. The horse got a bit jumpy and began to walk in a tight circle. To make things worse, Aleksey burst out into laughter at the sorry sight of me. Vlad tried to hide a smile behind his hand.

Fighting off dizziness, I pulled my body up enough so I could slip my leg under me. From that point, I could put my feet in the stirrups and grab the reins. The horse managed to calm down enough to stop going around in a circle once I was in that position.

A small breath of relief flowed out of me. Thankfully, that embarrassing part of the day was over with. Goody. Let the humiliation continue!

"Are you alright?" Aleksey asked me, still chuckling a little.

"Fine," I said with my eyebrows knitted together in dissatisfaction. "But I think something is wrong with this horse."

"Oh, the horse is fine!" Aleksey assured me with a wave of his hand. "Perro is always like that. He's just excited for the ride to follow."

"Perro?" I asked. "That's his name?"

"It means dog in spanish."

"You named your horse dog?" I asked just because I wanted to make sure what I heard was real. Seriously? I felt like I was in a mad house at this point.

"Of course! He acts more like a dog than a horse. It's a perfect name for him."

"Does he play fetch?"

"No."

"Does he bark?"

"No."

"Does he chase cars?"

"No."

"Does he have fleas?"

"No...wait...no." Oh, very reassuring.

"Sounds real dog-like to me," I said sarcastically. Yep. Nut house.

"Cheer up, Daniel. The day has only begun. You'll get used to riding by nightfall," Vlad told me with a wicked grin which only made me want to punch him in the face. I would if I wasn't stuck on the horse. Literally. I didn't know how to get off without hurting myself.

"To get your horse to move, Danny," Aleksey instructed, "you simply have to tap your heels against his side. To go faster, just give him another tap, and so on and so forth."

"Seems easy enough," I murmured more to myself than anyone else. I kicked my heels inward, and I got instant results from Perro. He casually started to walk forward, but I could tell he was itching to go faster. I had to agree with him.

"You steer your horse with the reigns," Aleksey continued. "Pull right, Perro will go right and visa versa. Perro is an easy one. He will do everything that you tell him to because he is like a trained dog. He's good for beginners like you." He watched as I experimented with the new directions before adding, "To stop, pull back on the reins. But not too forcefully. That hurts the horse."

Aleksey was right. As soon as I pulled the reins one way, Perro was going in that direction as if he had predicted my wish before I'd even acted upon it. Since he seemed ready to do whatever I wanted, I quickly pulled the reins one way until Perro had turned a full circle; then I pulled the other way to complete another circle. Satisfied with my feel of command, I gently pulled up on the reins and was granted a complete stop.

"I think I'm gonna like Perro," I said with a grin. I patted the animal on his neck like I'd seen Aleksey and Vlad do with their horses. Perro looked up at me with his big, black eyes, and I swear I saw a smile in them.

"Aye. He's a good horse," Aleksey agreed with a prideful nod. I could tell he had a real heart for his horses. They were his pride and glory. "He'll be yours for your entire stay here. I give you permission to take Perro out for a ride whenever you wish."

"Really?" I said, taken aback by the statement of freedom. I quickly glanced over at Vlad as if for permission. I hated to have to run everything by him, but Vlad was the one with the remote to my dad's watch. He gave me a nod. A grin that couldn't be contained broke across my face. "Cool. Thanks!"

"Now that lessons are over," Vlad piped up as he brought his horse between mine and Aleksey's, "I say we have a little race." He shot me a competitive smile. I refrained from returning one.

"Oh, that does sound like a good idea," Aleksey said, his eyes lighting up in enjoyment. A sly, oily smile oozed across his features as he glanced over at Vlad and I. Swiftly, he kicked his horse into a gallup as he shouted over his shoulder, "Last one to reach the edge of the jungle has to unsaddle the horses!"

"That cheater," Vlad chuckled under his breath as he followed suit and made his horse chase after his uncle's. In seconds, I was left in the dust.

"Well, it's nice to know that adults still act like ruthless, little kids," I said. I was tempted to stay where I was and let Vlad and Aleksey leave without me, but I decided since I'd come this far it would be a waste of time if I sat here and did nothing all day. There was no harm following, right?

Besides, I was longing to see how fast Perro could go.

With a swift kick to his sides, Perro took off after Vlad and Aleksey. I was almost yanked out of the saddle and had to quickly grab the horn to stay in my seat. A laugh bubbled out of me as I felt the wind blast through my hair and clothing. The speedy ride wasn't as fast as when I flew in ghost form, but it was the closest thing I'd gotten to in days.

I urged Perro to go faster. He complied without any hesitation. I could feel his body working under me, every move of his strong muscles as they labored perfectly in unison to Perro's breathing. His hooves dug into the ground and kicked up clouds of dust with each pounding, rapid step.

It was an incredible feeling to be on that horse's back. The animal had so much power, and somehow I was in charge of directing it. The best part was how much I was trusting Perro to do as I what I told him to while he trusted in me to give him the right commands so that we both functioned as one. It's kind of hard to explain, but it was awesome!

Our trust was so strong right off the bat, I let Perro do as he wished at the end of our race. We had galloped for quite a while until we reached the edge of the plains. After that, there was a small drop off before the terrain turned into jungle. It was a steep embankment, so a pathway had been made into its side to safely get the horses down to the jungle.

Vlad and Aleksey waited for me at the boarder. While Perro was fast in my standards, he was pretty slow compared to their horses. I didn't notice this until Perro and I finally caught up with them.

Perro didn't slow down when we approached the drop off. I thought for sure he'd stop, so I didn't pull back on the reins. Vlad and Aleksey thought the same as I, because they didn't become alarmed at my fast arrival until it was too late to stop.

With wide eyes of alarm, the two men watched as Perro ran right past them and down the steep embankment at full speed. At that point I was too scared to do anything but give a short yelp of fear before the breath was stolen right out of my lungs. Perro was practically vertical as he rushed down the hill with me hanging on for dear life on his back. The horse had no fear whatsoever. He knew that if he kept the same speed, we'd both be fine on the way down. Perro expertly executed the risky maneuver and eventually came to a trot at the bottom before stopping.

Like Perro, I gasped for air. My hands had formed a death grip around the horn of the saddle. Forcefully, I pulled them away and looked up in somewhat of a daze. Couldn't believe I'd just survived that crazy stunt!

"Are you alright, boy?" Aleksey called down to me from the top of the hill.

"That was...awesome!" I yelled back up with a whoop of excitement.

Aleksey paused for a second. I think he was surprised by my exhilarated reaction to almost dying on his insane horse. Vlad said something I couldn't hear before Aleksey shouted, "We're coming down, Danny! Stay where you are till we get there!"

I did what I was told as the two slowly trotted down the pathway that zig-zagged across the side of the hill. I patted Perro's muddy brown coat that was shiny and slick from sweat a few times to congratulate him on a job well done. He seemed to take pride in this because he held his head just a little higher than before.

"You gave me such a scare, Danny!" Aleksey told me as he and Vlad got close. He released a hearty chuckle, saying, "I knew Perro was a crazy one, but no one has ever let him do that before! You must be very trusting, boy."

"It seemed like he knew what he was doing," I said with a grin. "Guess he did."

"Ha ha, yes, he did!" Aleksey laughed. He patted me on the shoulder before moving his horse toward the jungle. "Come!" he said. "I'll teach you how to shoot your own jungle cat now."

"Go ahead, uncle," Vlad said. "We'll catch up."

"Sure, sure." In seconds, Aleksey and his horse had vanished in the deep foliage of the jungle. The leaves seemed to swallow him up.

I glanced over at Vlad, my puzzled face already questioning him as I asked, "What is it? What I do wrong now?"

"Don't do that again," Vlad said after a short pause. The hard tone in his voice betrayed the emotion on his face. Was that...concern? For me? I almost couldn't believe it. Was Vlad really worried about my well being? Was that even possible? I guess it was 'cause it was pretty distinguishable on his features. Either he was losing it, or I was becoming better at reading his emotions.

"You have a heart now? Is that it?" I asked with a cruel grin.

"You don't have ghost powers right now, Danny," Vlad told me sternly. "You are not indestructible. You're just as human as anyone else when your watch is activated like it is now. That stunt you pulled could have easily killed you."

"I know that," I retorted. My grin faded with the seriousness of the subject. Did he think I was that stupid or careless? Sheesh. He was bugging the crap out of me. I didn't hide the emotion as I told him, "And if you're so afraid I can't take care of myself while I'm stuck being human, then give me back my ghost powers. Don't preach to me about being all safe and crap, Vlad, when you have the power to change that for me."

That said, I kicked Perro into a trot and rode into the jungle. Silent and sulky, Vlad followed.

-Hours Later-

It was hot. More than just hot. The air was stuffy and suffocating because of the humidity. You could swim through the air it felt so thick and heavy. To top that off, the sun was constantly shining down on the jungle. Although the trees and leaves prevented direct contact between me and the sun, the heat made the giant forest feel like a sauna.

To keep complaining, I was hungry because my watch was nearing 2 pm and I hadn't eaten since breakfast at 7 that morning. Also, my butt was beginning to fall asleep from sitting in a saddle most of the day.

Oh, and let's not forget about the bugs! They were everywhere all the time. Seemed like ever few seconds I was swatting at another mosquito that had deemed me its lunch or dodging some whopping huge beetle that flew too close because it decided to freak the tourist out by dive bombing me. If it wasn't death by hunger or heat, it was death by vindictive bugs.

Besides the heat, hunger, and bugs, I was fine...except for the fact that I was totally against jaguar hunting. Aleksey had tried to teach me how to aim and fire my gun, but I pretended to suck at it because I didn't feel like it was right to shoot an animal that didn't need its population shortened to save its species' starvation in the coming season. Maybe Sam had more influence on me than I thought. Don't get me wrong. I'm totally for hunting and shooting and stuff back home, but for some reason I couldn't justify it for jaguars. I also wondered if it was legal. Were jaguars endangered animals? As a superhero, I always wanted to do the legal thing.

Thankfully, Vlad saw my lack of enthusiasm and distracted his uncle for the rest of the time we hunted. He didn't need to bother. We were out there in the jungle for hours and hardly got a sniff of the big cats. They were either pretty clever and knew when to stay away from us or they were very well hidden.

Maybe Aleksey had killed all of 'em. I'd seen enough animal pelts on his ranch house's walls to believe it. Yeah. Creepy.

We were just finishing up for the day when things got interesting. Arriving at a small, clear stream, the three of us dismounted our horses to fill our canteens and let the horses drink and rest before we returned to the ranch for lunch. I was partial to that idea because for the past hour my stomach had given me signals of starvation.

"These bugs just don't quit, do they?" I asked Vlad, whacking the billionth one of the blood suckers that day.

"I thought you put on bug spray," Vlad said like a chiding parent. He soaked a bandana in the stream before wiping it over his sweaty face to cool off.

"I did! I think my sweat washed it off, though," I said. To escape the heat, I poured the cold water in my canteen all over my head. Man, that felt good!

"It's possible," Vlad muttered. "Don't do that, Daniel. It only makes everything wet. Just drink your water next time."

Smiling evilly, I shook my head back and forth to sprinkle droplets of water all over Vlad like when a dog shakes himself to dry off. I laughed when Vlad gave a disgusted cry and recoiled. "It's just water," I teased with a bit of gloating in my voice.

_BAM!_

"Holy-!" I hissed in alarm at the sudden sound of a gun shot. My muscles had instantly knotted together at the loud noise. I hadn't expected it.

"Ah-ha! I believe I got him!" Aleksey shouted in jubilee as he relaxed his grip on his recently fired rifle. "Quickly now! Let's get him!"

As Aleksey took off in a run across the stream and into the jungle beyond, Vlad glanced back at me expectantly. He saw the reluctance in my face. Our eyes made contact, and I asked him silently to do me a favor and spare me just this once. He frowned but didn't refuse.

"Stay here, fill our canteens, and take care of the horses," he ordered me as he ran after his uncle. "We'll be back in a few minutes, alright?"

"Fine with me," I said, thanking him with a terse smile. In seconds, Vlad had performed the same magical vanishing act as his uncle. The dense jungle enveloped his form until it was lost in all the green.

I sat staring at the spot he'd disappeared for a while after he was gone. An unsure frown had crossed my features. Questions buzzed around in my head; they were like the pesky multitude of bugs in the jungle. There have been times in my life where I'll admit that I've questioned myself and my decisions. I've messed up plenty of times, but I've also done just as many good things. That's just being human. That day, though, my insides were wrought with indecision and confusion about myself and Vlad.

Experience told me Vlad was up to something sneaky and suspicious. I could lose count if I had to number the reasons why I should never trust Vlad. The only hitch was his recent actions. They were nothing like his past ones, which started me thinking.

What if Vlad was actually, truly trying to be nice? Maybe he had a slight change of heart and wanted to make it up to me by giving me this vacation. Giving? No. That was the wrong word. Forcing me is more like it. Still, would I have come with him if he hadn't made me? Probably not.

This only made me review all Vlad's past actions as well as my own. Weren't some of Vlad's decisions based off of the wrong I did toward him? I wasn't gonna try to make Vlad a good guy. The stuff that he did was evil and would stay evil. I just questioned my reaction toward it now. Was my deep hatred for him because of a childish grudge? And if Vlad genuinely wanted to give me a vacation, was it wrong of me to refuse to have any fun? If I did refuse, wasn't I just being a pouting little kid? I didn't want to be that way. I was 16 now. I wanted to be treated like an adult, but I first had to behave like one.

I didn't know where the line was; that line that told me how much fun was too much fun when in the presence of Vlad. It was like someone had drawn the line in the sand, but then the tide came in and washed it away with a couple of waves. I could only hope I hadn't gone past it as I precariously walked down my narrow superhero path.

Fed up with my inner turmoil, I slowly stood up with a sigh. "What am I doing here?" I muttered to myself as I rubbed the back of my sore neck.

A distant sound to my right made me glance that way. Nothing was there. The same sound came from my left. I snapped my head that way just as the sound returned on my right but also came from behind me. It was like a whisper. More than just one. Many whispers hissed and flitted through the air and yet nobody was there. Nothing they said I could discern although I could hear them clearly from all around me.

An eerie feeling descended onto my shoulders and seeped in through my skin. The hairs on my arms stood on end at the tingling sensation of these mysterious whispers. The only thing I could fathom was that something supernatural was going on here. It was more than supernatural. Darker. I didn't like it.

I did a slow turn and noticed the horses were getting fidgety by the stream. They stamped the ground in agitation of the unknown. They too knew something weird was happening. I guess they have that sense.

Abruptly, the whispers stopped.

The frown on my face deepened as the jungle plunged into an unnatural silence. The birds had gone on hiatus. The wind had ceased to exist. Even the bugs had hightailed it out of there. A shiver rose up my spine, producing a icy mist as I let out a short breath.

Had that been a ghost sense?

An explosive hiss sounded behind me; before I could turn to see the incoming danger, something hit me from behind. The surprise drove me off my feet and into the cold stream. It was the sudden sharp and acute pain in my shoulder that wrangled a cry of pain out of me. It felt like four spikes had been driven into my muscles and were trying to yank off a chunk of me.

"Argh! Get off!" I growled as I used my free arm to grab at the thing still on my back. My fingers gripped a wad of soft fur. With as much strength I could muster while drowning in a stream and whatever was on me ate at my shoulder, I threw the thing off me and over my head. It gave a vicious, short growl before landing in the water with a splash.

Mind racing a mile a minute, I struggled to my feet in the stream as my attacker did the same. We stood unmoving for a split second as I caught a good look at the thing. It was some kind of wild cat. It had similar spots of a jaguar, but it was way too small to be one. It was more around the size of a big house cat...a big _angry_ house cat.

Something beyond evil was caught in its narrowed, black eyes. A hissing snarl was constantly being played from its fanged mouth. While it looked small, I knew the cat packed a punch. It had already taken a bite out of my shoulder which now throbbed in agony and was coated in blood. I bet it thought I was tasty, and I wouldn't be surprised if it came back for the rest of delicious ol' me.

The cat gave another sadistic hiss before pouncing. With a yelp of alarm, I threw myself to the side and dodged the attack by hardly an inch. Boy, that thing was fast!

Quickly, my eyes scanned the area for some kind of weapon or something to use for protection. I lunged for a thick stick by my side and rolled onto my back just as the little beast came at me. I used the stick to block the cat from rearranging my face with its teeth and claws. For a second all I could do was stare wide eyed at the animal as it snarled and clawed desperately for my face.

"No thanks. I do _not_ want to become kitty chow today," I grumbled before lifting a leg under the cat's chest and kicking it off me. The cat was light weight, so it got pretty far before landing awkwardly on its side.

We both scrambled to our feet and proceeded to carefully circle each other. My shoulder where the cat bit me pulsated with discomfort, but my brain ignored the pain signals with the help of adrenaline and a little technique of mind over matter. I focused on the beast in front of me and the stick clutched in my hands.

Without opening its mouth or moving its lips, the cat snarled at me in a female voice, "You do not belong here! Leave! Leave before the demons come!"

"You think I want to be here? Trust me, I'd leave if I could, lady," I said. "What is it that you want? Why are you attacking me? Does this have anything to do with Vlad Plasmius?"

So she was a spirit. She was nothing like the calm and wise fox spirit in Tokyo, that was for sure; nonetheless, I found it my duty to understand what this spirit wanted from me.

The cat took a step toward me, striking with a paw full of sharp claws that could probably shred my skin like it was paper. I jumped back in avoidance with merely an inch to spare. She gave me another one of her explosive and angry hisses before yelling, "The darkness comes! It consumes! Leave!"

"Whoa! Calm down!" I shouted back only because her actions were freaking me out. "I'm here to help, okay? And how can I leave when you're preparing to chomp my head off? There is this thing called anger management. You certainly need it!"

"Leave!" was all she seemed to be able to say as she attacked me again and again. Somehow, I managed to dodge each lunge and assault. She was so upset that the word was the only thing she could comprehend. It was like she was a broken record as she aguishly screamed the word in a frenzy.

"Leave! Leave! Leave!"

Her desperate, distraught scream frightened me. I'd never come across such a distressed spirit before. I felt like this wasn't how the spirit normally was. Something had made her this way. I didn't know what it could be that would make a spirit snap, but I guess it had to be bad. Worse than Vlad. And anything worse than Vlad was going to be a pain in the butt to defeat. It was going to be more than a pain in the butt. I had the chance of getting killed. And that was no laughing matter.

I did not like this. I did not like this at all!

A/N: Woo! Fun stuff. I know squat about horses, so hopefully I didn't suck at the beginning there. If any of you know how to ride and found something wrong, please tell me. I try to research these things the best I can, but there's only so much you can do by reading and learning to ride at camp one week when I was 10.

Anyways, I have the next chapter almost finished so I'll be updating next weekend for sure this time. Thanks for all your reviews! I'll try to answer 'em if I get the time! See you readers next week!


	8. Chapter 8 An Ambiguous Hunch

A/N: Before I get into the chapter, I have some stuff to address because of what was said in reviews. First, while I did research some stuff to make things more realistic, this fic will not be fully accurate. For example: if you are in the jungle and you come across a stream, do not do what my characters did in the last chapter and drink the water. That is highly dangerous, but I decided to take a bit of creative license and have them drink anyways. Stuff like this will happen again and I don't mind you readers pointing it out. It's all cool.

Second, I don't know if you readers remember from Powerless because it was only mentioned a few times; but even without his powers, in these fan fictions I have it that Danny can still have his ghost sense. I believe that since Danny got his powers, it activated a small part of him that will always have that kind of power...as seen on Phantom Planet when he had that white streak in his hair. So, even though the watch actually physically takes away all his powers (it does not suppress them), Danny still has a little bit of a ghost sense. Just wanted to remind you readers of that 'cause I got a few reviews questioning about it.

So...we're all clear? Good! On with the chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own any Danny Phantom characters. The rest is mine.

Chapter 8 An Ambiguous Hunch

I was losing too much blood. I could tell because my dodges were becoming slower and more clumsy. My balance was off, and my head seemed to be swelling with mental mire which caused me to think at a snail's pace. It scared me. I knew at any second I was going to make a mistake and become victim to this crazed jungle spirit.

To prevent such a mistake, I decided to go on the offense. I needed to get in a blow of some kind. Maybe then I could make a run for it. Could I outrun her? I doubted it, but I needed to do something! I couldn't dodge her cunning, vicious attacks all day.

I waited for her to deliver a swipe of her paw before winding back on the stick in my hands and using her small head like a softball. Despite my sucky skills at using a bat, I hit her head perfectly my first swing.

_Crack!_

The cat was thrown to the side with a pitiful yelp of pain. I threw my broken stick to the side and took off toward the stream and beyond, hoping against hope the spirit wouldn't catch up with me. Pushing myself with each footfall, I splashed through the cold stream and headed in the direction I'd seen Vlad and Aleksey go. I needed help!

A splash behind me told me that the cat had gotten over the hit to the head and was after me. Not good! I hopelessly tried to get her off my trail by zig-zagging through the trees. For a flashing second, I felt like the poor zebra prey who tries to outrun the lion. It was not a warm, fuzzy feeling.

My luck ran out in the form of a protruding tree root. With a gasp, I tripped over the thing and did a face plant in the mud and dirt. I guess it was about time something bad for me happened. I couldn't have kept running forever.

Cringing back the pain in my shoulder and the fear that pumped through my body, I rolled quickly onto my back in hopes to be able to dodge in time. The cat was leaping into the air, claws out and teeth bared in attack. In that split second, I knew I was doomed. There was no time to react or to think myself out of this mess.

_BAM!_

Instinctively, I jumped at the sound of the gun shot and squeezed my eyes shut. Gasping for breath, I opened my eyes a second later and stared down at the dead cat by my feet. The bullet had gone cleanly through her skull and killed her instantly. Even though she had been trying to maul me, I still felt a little sad at her untimely death. Hopefully a spirit's bodily death didn't mean it was permanently dead. I mean, you couldn't really kill a ghost 'cause the ghost is already dead, right? Was that the same for spirits? I didn't know the difference.

"Danny!"

I looked up. Vlad and Aleksey were running toward me, worry and concern on both their faces. Vlad got to me first. He skidded to a stop beside me, dropping to his knees. He already had his bandana out and used it to wrap around my shoulder to stop the bleeding.

"Ah! That hurts!" I cried out when he tightened the fabric into place. Now that the fear was fading, the pain was returning. The dam the adrenaline had built inside me was cracking, and the pain was rushing through my system like roaring waters. I had to force myself to stay awake and not pass out.

"Uncle, he's been bitten," Vlad told Aleksey. "Go get the horses! We need to take him back to the ranch right away." Aleksey nodded before running back to the stream to get the horses.

Suddenly, the dead cat at my feet moved. It lightly pawed at my foot, fixating its claws in my shoe. I gave a short scream. Vlad pulled out his rifle, aimed, and pulled the trigger. A distinct click told us the barrel was empty. The man swore under his breath.

"_It comes to...destroy,"_ the spirit said in an otherworldly, weak whisper. _"Leave."_

Before our very eyes, the cat faded away like the ghost she was. Vlad and I sat stone still and silent for a second. I didn't know what to say. I didn't know what to feel.

"What was that?" Vlad asked me finally. He sounded confused.

"I don't know, Vlad," I said with a cringe. "I should be asking you that same question."

"Danny, I have no clue what that thing was talking about," Vlad tried to assure me. "Why did it attack you in the first place? Do you know what it was talking about?"

"No," I answered flatly.

Vlad stared at me, studying me closely for any clue of dishonesty. When he found no falseness in my story, he slowly reached out with a hand and placed it on my head. I glanced over at him as he said, "We'll figure it out. I'm sorry about what happened. I should have realized...." He faded the sentence off as his face turned into one of thoughtfulness.

Aleksey arrived with the horses before I could respond. Vlad swiftly got to his feet and mounted his horse, saying, "I'll take Danny back to the ranch, uncle. Are you alright with taking Danny's horse back to the stable behind us?"

"Of course," Aleksey said. He bent down and firmly grabbed me with strong arms around the waist. As if I was merely a rag doll, he picked me up and eased me down in the saddle in front of Vlad. "Hang in there, Danny," he told me with a small smile. "My nephew will take good care of you. He'll get you patched up in no time."

I managed a nod. He was joking, right? This was Vlad we were talking about. He did everything but take care of me.

-Half an Hour Later-

"Hold still," Vlad said impatiently. He held the bottle of antiseptic alcohol over my shoulder. I could see the clear liquid swish around in the container from where I sat on the toilet in his bedroom's bathroom.

"Man, I know it's gonna sting," I whined as I wiggled in Vlad's grasp on my other shoulder. "Can't I go to the hospital or something? I could have rabies or something."

"No," Vlad said flatly. He let me go for a second to grab a small wash towel hanging by the shower. "And you don't have rabies."

He poured the alcohol into the towel as I asked, "Can you at least activate my ghost powers so the pain won't be so bad?"

"No."

Without warning, the man pressed the towel against my wounded shoulder. The alcohol seeped into the teeth marks, instantly making my skin feel like it was on fire. I let out a sharp wince from the pain. Thankfully, Vlad didn't take his time and he cleaned out the wound in only a few minutes.

"This one bite will need stitches," Vlad said as he observed the damage. Now that all the blood was gone, we could actually see the holes. I made a face at the gross sight of my own ripped flesh.

"Goody," I muttered.

"Consider yourself lucky, boy," Vlad said with a grin. "This could have been worse."

"If I had my ghost powers, this wouldn't have happened," I argued. "And while we're on the subject, if you hadn't dragged me out here to the middle of freaking nowhere, this sure wouldn't have happened! Thank you, Vlad, for a splendid vacation. I might not ever want to go back home."

"There was no way I could have predicted this," Vlad said after a pause for thought. He didn't seem offended by my sarcasm, so I decided to settle for a steady glare. "You're fretting over nothing."

"No, I'm not," I insisted with a shake of my head. "That spirit was really upset about something. If it's not you and what you might be doing behind my back, then what is it? And whatever it is, it's big and it's evil."

"Why do you say that?" he asked. The question wasn't because he didn't know the answer. He just wanted to know what I knew.

"You saw that thing!" I said, extending my arm for emphasis. "She was in a state of panic!"

Vlad stared at me, his medical tools in hand. His face was meant to be expressionless, but I spotted the cool, calculating gleam in his eyes. He was thinking and playing that chess game called life he liked so much. I hated to feel like a pawn, but I did. I wondered what he could be thinking. It could be anything.

Finally, Vlad decided to say something. "This would work better if you were on the counter," he said, motioning for me to stand. "Come on. Get up."

Reluctantly, I stood and hopped up onto the counter. I asked as I did so, "Why are you changing the subject? What are you hiding?"

At first I thought he wasn't going to answer me. He began to stitch one of the bites up with the needle and thread, making me grit my teeth in pain. A few times I even released a short cry. Stitches are not fun when Vlad does 'em. Nothing at all to block out the pain.

Finally, he told me in a serious tone, "I believe you're overanalyzing the situation, Daniel."

"No I'm n--ouch!"

"That spirit could have simply wanted you dead because it saw you as a threat to its territory," Vlad said, pulling tightly on the thread to make me cringe. "You haven't experienced a lot of spirits, Danny. They aren't like ghosts which were once human and have died. A spirit never was a human. They are supernatural protectors of certain territories or even objects. The fox one you met in Japan was one of the few nice ones. Not all of them are that way."

"Then something evil must be in the jungle," I pointed out. "You just said so yourself."

"That _something_ could have been _you_, Danny," Vlad told me straight up. He had stopped stitching so he could stare me right in the eye. I didn't like what he was saying, but it was beginning to make logical sense. "Why else would it tell you to leave?"

"I...uh...to protect me?" I said, floundering for an answer.

"That spirit wanted you dead," Vlad informed me sternly. "There was no possible reason why it would want to 'protect' you. You were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. There is nothing going on in that jungle, and I for sure have nothing to do with it if there ever was. So do not waste your time dwelling on the subject or come up with one of your naive, self-righteous notions that it's your duty to save the thing."

That said, he silently went back to stitching me up. With a bitter scowl on my face, I thought about what he said. It all made sense. The logic was there. There was a strong chance that I could have been attacked because I seemed like a threat to the spirit. Actually, I'd rather that be the case. If so, then Vlad and I were just here for one strange, messed up vacation and I wouldn't have anything to worry about. Trust me, I desperately wanted it to be that way.

But I had a hunch. That's all it was. A silly, absurd hunch that maybe there was more to this than what I was seeing and hearing from Vlad.

I hated hunches.

"I don't like that look in your eyes," Vlad muttered as he finished up on the stitches and prepared the wound for a bandage.

"What look?"

"That look that tells me you're going to do the complete opposite of what I just told you because you're a stubborn child," Vlad retorted irritably.

At last! He was angry about something! I felt like I had accomplished something, like I had finally gotten some true emotion out of the man. He'd been so suffocatingly nice and normal these past few hours, I wasn't quite sure what to make of him. But now I had an emotion I was used to seeing, an emotion I knew with all certainty that it was real.

"Just because I want to do the right thing doesn't make it childish," I said. "While that spirit might have been upset about me, I don't have clear evidence. Personally, I don't think she would have reacted that way to me. I'm not that powerful." Vlad shrugged. I didn't know why, but he did.

"I'm not going to allow you to do any superhero work while you're here," Vlad said mater-of-factly as he wrapped the bandage around my shoulder. "So you can dash those useless thoughts of nobel investigation out of your imprudent head. You're on vacation."

"Earth to Fruitloop!" I said sharply. "How can I enjoy a vacation when I'm worrying about the jungle five miles away?"

"Simple: stop worrying," he said, trying to hide a smirk. He stood back, his work on my shoulder finished, and folded his arms across his chest to give me a proper look over.

"Oh, you're hilarious," snapped back with a roll of my eyes. "Are you done?"

"Yes," he answered as I slipped off the counter. He swiftly moved to block my way out of the bathroom, using his bigger frame as an obstruction. "And where are you heading off to?" he asked. "You should take a shower before eating something. You must be hungry."

"First, I'd like to get out of this bathroom and away from you," I grumbled, trying to peacefully get past the man by weaving around him. This proved to be a pointless tactic because Vlad just kept stepping in my pathway as if it was all a funny game.

"I hope you're not thinking about going back into that jungle," Vlad said.

"You can't keep your eyes on me all day, Vlad. Now move," I said. With a small shove, I tried pushing Vlad out of my way.

"I may not be able to watch you every hour of the day, but I hope you know the outcome if you decide to go against my wishes," he said. He was like a stone against my pushing and shoving. All too soon, I was short of breath and getting more annoyed by the second.

"Come on, Vlad. Let me through!"

"Not until you tell me your intentions."

Finally, that thin string inside me labeled as patience snapped under the pressure. Throwing caution into the wind, I swung back a fist and delivered a punch with the release of a pent up battle cry. Vlad saw the move coming a mile away. He caught my fist in both hands, yanked me forward and off balance, and delivered an acute strike to my stomach with his elbow.

The air in my lungs left me with an unmistakable _whoosh_ as my body spiraled backwards from the hit. The wall was the first to receive my awkward fall, but I was on the ground soon after the impact. My arms wrapped themselves around my midsection as if the action would comfort me. They did nothing.

Panic rushed through me as for a second or two I couldn't get the air back into my lungs. It's always a pretty horrible and vulnerable feeling when the air gets knocked out of you. Eventually, I was able to get a grasp on the oxygen. The result was a deep gasp, followed by some pathetic coughs to steady the breathing again.

Vlad bent down from his lofty height so he could take my chin in his firm hand. He forced me to look up into his face as he told me calmly but unsparingly, "Your actions will have only one outcome, Daniel. They will result with you helpless and on the ground like you are now. You can take that literally or figuratively. Just remember who holds the remote to your father's life."

I was left there alone on the bathroom floor, feeling angry, confused, distressed, and hopeless. I hated the indecisive state I was in. I hated myself for not doing something. I hated myself for being so useless. I felt like there was so much I should be doing and yet I had no power to do those things I should be doing...and somehow it was all my fault. The self loathing level in me was very high that moment. I even hated myself for hating myself. I know. It wasn't very realistic thinking, but that was the truth.

"What am I going to do?" I miserably asked myself.

A/N: I just keep on torturing this poor kid. I need to stop...naw. It's too much fun. Anyways, I'm just gonna say ahead of time that I'll try to respond to reviews this week but there will be a delay with the chapter updating. This week is finals, packing, saying goodbye to college friends, and flying back up to Canada Land. There will just be so much stuff going on, I don't think I'll have the time to sit down and write. So I'll see you readers in two weeks! Have a good one!


	9. Chapter 9 Game Advice

A/N: Gah! So sorry for the delay in this chapter! Lots of stuff happened these past two weeks and I only got to writing this chapter on Wednesday. And there were some reviews I really, really wanted to get back to but never found the time, especially someone with some criticism. I always like criticism. But, thankfully, I'm settled for now in Canada Land and will have less problems updating on time.

Anyways, back to the story! You'll be able to tell right away that the first part of the chapter is another dream sequence. Don't worry. The dreams do mean something and are not just pointless moments of me trying to make the chapters longer and exciting...although they do help out in that area. Other than that, enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own any Danny Phantom characters.

Chapter 9 Game Advice

"Trippy," I said with a funny smile. My reflection's grin distorted with a funky swirl. I flew farther down the dark hallway, glancing at myself in the fun house's mirrors with a morbid curiosity for what I looked like in each one. Every time I passed one, my reflection changed drastically. I went from a thin, gangly ghost kid to the heaviest superhero known to man-kind in the matter of seconds. The silliness of it all made me laugh.

"Focus, Danny!" Sam's voice sounded from the headphone on my headset. "Lydia could be anywhere in that fun house. You need to be careful."

"Her freaky tattoos may pose a bit of a threat, Sam, but I don't think I'm gonna have any problems with this one," I assured her. Sam and Tucker were stationed around the fun house building, making sure the ghost Lydia wasn't coming out. I'd gone ahead inside to either leer Lydia out or capture her with a Fenton Thermos.

It was just another night on the job. No harm in enjoying myself a bit.

I turned the corner and had to pull up short in surprise. The entire next hallway was round and spinning with white and black swirls, making the door at the end look small and hard to get to. It threw me for a loop for a second, but that was all one of Lydia's glowing tattoo creatures needed to strike.

The little bat gave a screech as it dove for my head from behind. It's sharp, little claws dug into my skin, making me cry out in pain as I flew into the spinning hallway. I grabbed the evil thing by a wing and yanked it off me. Before it even hit the rounded wall, I had my thermos out and sucked the shrieking bat inside.

"One down," I said, putting the cap back on the thermos. "And about a dozen more to go."

I flew deeper into the rotating round room, trying not to get dizzy as I reached the door at the end. Phasing through the door, I emerged into a bigger room that had padded walls and floor. My eyes searched the area for any evil tattoo creatures, my senses keen ever since the first attack.

Halfway to the door on the other side of the room, the lights went off and the sound of grinding gears could be heard from beyond the walls. I felt the room move under my feet. A frown crossed my lips when blinding strobe lights on the ceiling turned on and off rapidly, throwing the spinning room into a battle field of chaos. Through the brief flashes of rays of light I could see the tattoo creatures fly toward me.

The first one, a snake, collided with my shoulder and sunk it's tiny teeth into my skin. Seconds afterwards, two more flew into me. The force drove me into the wall with a grunt of frustration. While their biting was nothing more than obnoxious, it was the room's elements that restricted me. There was just too much stimulation. The spinning room seemed to scoop me up into it's hands and carry me into a sense of disarray.

"Alright you little demon pictures," I yelled as my irritation came to a boil. "This is getting repetitive. Time for you guys to get your tattoo butts kicked!"

With a battle yell, I wrenched the snake one off my shoulder and threw it away. I followed up quickly with an ectoplasm blast to stun the vile thing. The mad hiss that resulted only put a smirk on my lips as I threw my elbow into the wall, smashing the floating skull that had been biting me there into submission. It was sucked into the thermos a second later.

I shoved off the wall with my feet, the lizard tattoo still clinging to my leg as if its pathetic afterlife depended on it. In the air, I extended my leg to get a clear shot at the lizard before blasting it with a ray of ectoplasm. It sighed in reluctance as I vacuumed it into the thermos.

Grinning, I spun quickly around with the thermos aimed in front of me. The poor snake that had been attempting another surprise attack looked so confused as the thermos sipped it right up.

"Nice try," I said, capping the thermos.

"You alright, Danny?" Sam asked me.

"I got it covered," I answered with a confident grin. I could almost see her rolling her eyes as she sighed through the headphones.

The lights unexpectedly turned back on and the room slowed its spinning as I floated down to the floor. Before any more creatures came at me or before the room could start whirling again like a demented top, I flew toward the exit door which would take me into the next section of the fun house. The room was already on and ready for me.

"Great. More spinning things," I muttered sarcastically. "I love spinning things."

The small room was made up of rotating orange-padded pillars that were connected to platforms on the floor. The spinning seemed like it was sped up beyond the health standards. The pillars and their eye-sore-of-a-color orange reminded me of a blender. Just looking at the room was making me queasy.

The dizziness didn't stop me from flying into the fray. I was in the mood for a fight, and possessed revolving pillars weren't gonna get in my way.

My already heightened reflexes felt the first creature coming. The thing was in a thermos before it knew what hit him. Unfortunately, I failed to realize the one creature was simply a distraction. As soon as the little guy was safely imprisoned, about five of the wicked creatures descended on me with wild hisses and screeches.

The attack caught me off guard. I was forced to the ground where multiple platforms whirled. Landing on my side with a sharp yelp of pain, I let go of my thermos. It clattered onto another platform which shot it in some random direction. I could hear it clank its way around the room while I was violently flung the opposite way.

Even with the wall being padded, my body's impact with it was still painful at such reckless speeds. I fell onto another platform which spun me in an opposing direction. With a scream of alarm, I was thrown into another pillar with all the little tattoo creatures wrapped, biting, or clinging onto me.

There came a point where I was fed up with my embarrassing ass kicking from a room. Struggling to get my head on straight, I pushed off a pillar I'd been slammed into. While my body hovered safely in the middle of the mess, my head spun as if it was still in the washing machine from hell.

"Off! Get off!" I grumbled at the creatures on me as they tried to fly me into more spinning pillars. Without my thermos, all I could do was stun them with my ectoplasm rays or freeze their sorry butts with my ice powers. The problem with that was the fact that as soon as they landed on the ground, the ice shattered and they were back to terrorizing me.

After a couple of minutes of this useless behavior, I went looking for my thermos. Thankfully, it found me.

_Wham!_

"Ouch! What the - oh!" I exclaimed as I quickly caught the thermos that had whacked into the back of my head. Although it left a sore bump there, I forgave it as it delivered for me.

The tattoo creatures didn't stand a chance against me as I blasted around the room, sucking them inside their temporary prison. When they were all taken care of, I capped the thermos and readily headed for the next room. I'd taken a fair share of beating, but I wasn't finished. There was one more ghost I needed to take care of that night.

Carefully, I phased through the next door to see what I was up against. Like before, I couldn't see the danger but I knew it was there. The only difference was the absence of something spinning. I was grateful for that. I didn't want to defeat Lydia by throwing up on her. That'd just be sick.

The room was one long, lone hallway with glass walls on both sides. They displayed the same haunted house set up. I wasn't very impressed. The spiderwebs were clearly fake, and the furniture looked cheap and plastic. It looked maintained because not a speck of dust could be seen. If the makers of this fun house were trying to set the mood, they failed. If anything, I wanted to laugh at their lame attempt.

As I walked down the hallway, I noticed that both walls acted like a mirror. I could see myself walking on both sides of me. My eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. So which one was the mirror and which one the real room?

A green vortex swirled around in the real room, whichever room that was, but it appeared on both sides of me. As the whirlwind cleared, I saw the circus freak Lydia appear. Her crimson cape flapped around her green skinned body. Her red eyes narrowed on me from the depths of her dark hood. In her glare was a smirk.

Before anything happened, I knew I'd been tricked somehow. It was an unsettling feeling at the bottom of my spine. It spiked up my vertebra as I picked a side in the hallway I believed was the real side and shot a ray at it, aiming for Lydia's form that flew toward me.

I knew it was over the second my reflection cracked. The fracture spread like a domino effect, creating spiderweb-like cracks all throughout the mirror. For a brief moment, it looked like reality had broken into millions of pieces.

Through the breaking mirror, I saw that Lydia had disappeared and had been replaced my a margay with sinister, glowing green eyes. Those eyes bore into my fragmenting face in the mirror. They took the breath right out of me. I felt like I was frozen in that stunned position as the mirror and its broken pieces dropped to the floor, revealing nothing but a dark pit on the other side.

The margay behind me gave a vicious growl as she attacked. She was lightning quick, leaping onto my back and driving me over the edge of the pit. With a fearful scream, I fell headlong into the black vortex. As soon as I started to fall, the cat seemed to have vanished. It was just me falling to my death. I was all alone.

"Danny! You are having a bad dream! Wake up!"

I came out of the nightmare totally disorientated, in a cold sweat, and gasping for air as if I'd just jogged 500 miles. My world swirled into clarity, and the form of Aleksey focused above me from where I'd fallen asleep in an armchair. He was lightly shaking my shoulder as he leaned over me. The concern showed itself on his face. I was thankful it was him and not Vlad waking me.

"Will you be alright, boy?" Aleksey asked me. "Want me to get you some water?"

I ran a hand through my hair, letting out a long, stressed sigh. "I'm fine," I said weakly. I cleared my craggy throat, trying again. "I'm fine. Just another nightmare. Nothing you can do about it."

"Now, don't be lying to me, Danny," Aleksey said gravely as he eased himself into the armchair across from mine. A table with a chess set stood between us. "Vlad told me about your other nightmares. He tells me you're stressed. Do you mind sharing that with me?"

I'd fallen asleep sideways on the armchair. To compose myself, I slowly sat up and rightened myself in the chair. My wounded shoulder shot me a pang of pain as I did so. I had to close my eyes for a second and push through the pain.

I shot a quick glance at the man before muttering truthfully, "Yeah. I do mind. I'm fine, though."

Aleksey nodded in understanding, but he didn't look very convinced. He smiled at me, requesting politely, "Would you like to play a game of chess with me then? I am waiting for a group of Japanese tourists to arrive tonight, and I have nothing else to do till then. It will be a nice way to pass the time."

My eyes glanced down at the chess set before coming back to set on Aleksey. The last time I played chess, it was against Vlad and that obviously wasn't fun. I'd come to hate the game. It was a heartless game, and the only good players had to be as cold and calculating as the game itself.

Aleksey perceived my distaste with a light chuckle. "I see you have played against my nephew a few too many times," he said. "He takes all the fun out of it. You see, he views the game as his life. That is no way to play. Here, we play one game and then you decide if you still do not like chess."

"Alright," I sighed, pulling my chair closer to the table. "But I'm not guaranteeing I'll magically like it." Aleksey grinned. The expression seemed to put my emotions at ease, and I let myself express a small smile.

As soon as we started the game, I saw the differences in the way Aleksey and Vlad played. Vlad always had swift, cunning movements as if he knew how to win before you even moved your first piece. He could win a game in minutes, the entire time wearing that annoying smirk of his. Aleksey, on the other hand, was slow and thoughtful. While it was obvious he liked thinking out his movements, I found out he liked talking with his opponent more than moving his pieces.

"Ah, you see what your problem is, Danny, is that you do not have a strategy," Aleksey said after five minutes of play. He pointed to my pieces, explaining, "You do not know whether to be defensive or offensive. You are just reacting to my movements, hoping that I'll make a mistake. That won't help you."

"But I'm thinking ahead," I grumbled. "I know which moves you might make. Isn't that how you're supposed to play?"

"Yes, but that's only a small part of the game," Aleksey said with a furtive nod. "You need a plan. A good chess player not only thinks ahead, he understands his opponent. You must watch how they play and figure out their plans. Once you do that, you can make your own plans. Understanding your opponent also allows you to better your judgement about their movements. You'll be able to think farther ahead because you'll know how they move. Understand?"

"Yeah," I sighed. "I think I do." I couldn't help but think I was getting a life lesson taught to me as well as a lecture on chess. I tried to apply the new lesson as I touched a bishop uncertainly.

"Take your time, boy," Aleksey said with an amused chuckle. He sat relaxed and content in his armchair as if he had all the time in the world to play this game with me. "You do not have to play like my nephew. He does not play for fun; he plays to win. That's not how uncle Aleksey likes it."

"Was he always like that?" I asked.

"Hm?"

"Was Vlad always out to win? I mean, like when he was my age, was he a...jerk?"

Aleksey gave one of his boisterous laughs, making my tense shoulders relax a little. The man shook his head, saying, "The Vlad you know is not the nephew I remember. Before his accident, my nephew was ambitious and passionate about the sciences and the supernatural. He had a light that came into his eyes every time he talked about how they both coincided. It would make him giddy as a schoolboy even at the age of 20. That light isn't there now. It makes me sad."

It was odd hearing this about Vlad. His history would always be a surprise to me. It was hard picturing Vlad my age and completely human. It was easier for me to accept his evil-overlord-ness by imagining him as a demon child. I'd like to think he was born mean. It would explain so much. Instead, his history had a lot of baggage and it was hard for me to shift through it all. It seemed all too...personal.

"So when did he change? After he turned half ghost?" I asked, a bit curious. I moved a pawn on the board and sat back to wait for his move.

"Yes," Aleksey answered with a sober nod. His eyes scanned the board as he rubbed his chin in deep thought. "You must understand that my nephew was hospitalized for years after the accident that made him half ghost. He was forced to sit in a bed for many, many months. That wears on a man's soul. A man needs contact with people, to feel the sun, and run and walk and jump, not sit in a stuffy room watching those ridiculous soap operas on the television. While it might have been new ghost genes introduced into his body, I believe it was his time cooped up in the hospital that changed my nephew."

Trying to remain indifferent about the subject, I stared at Aleksey as he spoke about Vlad. I carefully watched his face and how it twisted in heartache over his nephew's change in character. Inside me, I was torn between reasoning and feeling. This was _Vlad's_ uncle. I knew I should be careful around him because I didn't know him well enough to trust a word he said, but the human part of me really felt what he was saying. I didn't want to, but I found myself believing Aleksey.

"I'm...I'm sorry," I said reluctantly. I really was. In a way, Aleksey lost his nephew after that accident. Truly, I was sorry about what happened because losing someone in that way seems pretty painful. No one, not even Vlad, deserved what happened. But that didn't give Vlad an excuse to turn into such an evil jerk.

"Well, thank you, Danny," Aleksey said with a sad smile. He moved his knight on the board, telling me, "I believe you're a good kid. You have a strong heart. I can see how that kind of heart could be having trouble in a situation like this."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Vlad told me about the margay attack and how it was a forest spirit," Aleksey said, lowering his voice as if the thing was supposed to be a secret. The frown sprung to my face before I could mask my emotions. "I understand that you are a superhero in the town my nephew is mayor for," Aleksey explained at the sight of my scowl. "You protect the city from such evil spirits or ghosts and help the good ones. You are used to saving the day. To be here with Vlad and denied your privilege to help must be very frustrating for you, Danny. Do you think this is the reason behind your bad dreams?"

I felt my shoulders droop as my spirit seemed to deflate like a balloon. My eyes kept themselves on the chess board as I answered truthfully, "I don't know anymore."

"No? Why not, boy?" Aleksey asked curiously.

At first I didn't want to open up to Aleksey, but I thought about how he'd shared that bit about Vlad's past and how sorrowful he was. He was being very real with me. I felt obligated to tell the truth because of that. Besides, I needed someone to share my thoughts with.

"Even with the stress of being a superhero, I don't get very many nightmares," I explained. I rubbed the side of my face before giving in to my feelings and saying, "But these nightmares are vivid and constant. I've never had dreams like these. Then again, I'm more stressed than ever when I'm with Vlad and it would make sense that the spirit was only protecting its forest from me. So...I...I have no clue what to think anymore."

I gave a heavy sigh, finally glancing up at Aleksey. He stared at me, not expecting anything from me at all as he listened intently. It was...refreshing. "You're gonna tell Vlad all this, aren't you?" I said with a bitter chuckle.

He broke out into a knowing smile, saying, "Only if he asks."

"He'll ask. Trust me, he'll ask."

"Ha ha! You know my nephew too much," Aleksey laughed. The laugh was short lived, though, and the man was soon solemn again before asking, "Do you mind if I tell you what I think about your situation?"

"Go ahead," I said, sitting back in my seat. I liked it how Aleksey treated me like an adult. He didn't talk to me like Vlad did. I felt my age around Aleksey; not like a dumb five-year-old like when I was around Vlad.

"My nephew wants you to relax and feel like you are on vacation," Aleksey told me straightforward, "but I don't think you can do that." That surprised me. I perked up to hear the rest. "Your heart wants to help this forest spirit. It is your logic that says differently. Those two forces are conflicting with each other, and that is what is giving you those nightmares.

"You will not be able to relax until you settle one or the other. The heart can not accept what the mind denies, and visa versa. To get rid of these nightmares, I suggest you either completely forget about the spirit and being a superhero or you delve deeper into the mystery of the margay spirit's warning and do all you can to help her or figure out why she attacked you. You must choose between logic and your heart."

"That's easier said than done," I said. Still, I couldn't say it was bad advice. Actually, it sounded pretty good and I found myself wondering which one I was going to choose.

"Of course," he said, nodding. "Most things in life are that way."

He leaned forward and over the chess table, motioning for me to do the same. I obeyed, listening keenly as he instructed me with passion, "This decision doesn't have to be the way Vlad plays chess, Danny. Do not feel rushed for time to choose. Carefully create your own strategy. Do not simply react to Vlad's actions; make your own. Understand?"

My eyes slowly scanned the board between us as my mind seemed to digest what the man had said. Finally, my gaze returned to Aleksey's face. My gut told me to trust him. And usually I can trust my gut. It had served me rather well in the past.

"Yeah," I said, nodding with a smile. "I do."

"Good!" Aleksey said, giving my shoulder a hearty pat. "I knew you were a quick one."

"Hey, what were you expecting? I'm a legit superhero from where I come from," I said with a cocky smile. Tapping my temple, I said, "You gotta be quick up here to properly be one."

"I'm sure those tests in school are real villains," he joked with a grin.

"Oh, you know it!" I laughed. I made a gun with my fingers and mocked aimed and fired while I said, imitating some high and mighty superhero voice, "But with my fearless bravery and exuberant charisma, the villainous tests and their evil F's are properly taken care of...and all before dinner time."

Aleksey's shoulders were bouncing up and down with his laughter. I grinned, the man reminding me of a jolly grandpa at the moment. It was good to talk and joke around with Aleksey. He paid attention to me and was really going out of his way to make my time here enjoyable. I appreciated that.

"Uncle," Vlad said from where he seemed to have spawned behind my armchair. I actually jumped in surprise. For one brief moment, I had forgotten about Vlad.

"Vlad, you never told me the boy was suck a jokester," Aleksey said as he got to his feet. Slowly, I did the same.

"He at least tries," Vlad said, shooting me a quick smirk. The expression was only a phantom on his lips because he was soon saying seriously, "I came in here to tell you that group of tourists are here and will need your help. Quite honestly, I don't want Danny around your guests. We'll be off to bed, then."

"That is fine," Aleksey said with a flippant wave of his hand.

He patted my shoulder one more time, telling me goodnight before Vlad escorted me toward the stairs to the second floor's balcony and bedrooms. Silently, I followed Vlad upward, but on the inside I was annoyed. It would be like Vlad to be paranoid enough to hide me away from other people visiting the ranch. He was probably scared I'd discover one of their cellphones and call home. It wasn't possible, though. I bet the ranch out here in the middle of nowhere got 0 bars of reception.

Vlad and I were on the second floor balcony and heading toward our rooms when the main doors opened to the living room below. Aleksey warmly greeted the Japanese tourists, shaking all three men's hands heartily. It was the usual casualties. I wouldn't expect anything less.

If I didn't know they were Japanese beforehand, I don't think I would have glanced over the railing down at them that night. I still don't know what made me do it exactly. Maybe it was the voice of one of them that sounded familiar, or maybe I just wanted to do something to spite Vlad. Whatever it was, I stopped and looked down to get a good look at them.

A second after my choice to stare at the men, one of them glanced up at the balcony to take in the sights. He was too far away for me to make him out properly. His eyes listlessly grazed his surroundings till they landed on me. He paused to stare at and take me in before he shoved his hands into his pant pockets and followed his group and Aleksey deeper into the living room. He had no interest in me.

"You finished lollygagging?" Vlad asked me suddenly. I snapped my head up to look at him. He was creeping me out today with his ninja popping up out of nowhere tricks. "Is your curiosity quenched yet?"

"Yeah," I said with nod. This was true. I was tired beyond belief. I guess learning how to ride a horse, almost getting mauled by a margay forest spirit, and getting stitches all in one day does tucker a guy out.

"Goodnight," Vlad said curtly.

"If you never wake up, that means I succeeded in escaping and killing you," I said lightly back.

"You can't kill a ghost, Danny."

"You want me to have sweet dreams or not?"

Vlad stopped at his door to glare over at me. I grinned back, knowing I was being annoying and loving every last second of it. I'd never get over the exasperated look on Vlad's face. He deserved the punishment.

Finally, the man sighed and said while slamming his door shut, "'Night, Daniel."

"Mission accomplished," I said, humming in triumph as I walked into my room.

A/N: Decided to leave it for once on a lighter note. Last chapter it was a bit all doom and gloom. Gotta spice it up a bit. Anyways, next chapter should be up next weekend! Have a good week till then!


	10. Chapter 10 Friendly Battles

A/N: I was gonna have this chapter longer...but I just didn't get the time. Oh well. That's what you get when you update every weekend. Still getting back in the groove of things here in Canada Land. Still a bit busy, though, so I'm sorry for not responding to reviews. I think this week will be more calm so I'm gonna try to answer the reviews I get. Thanks and enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Danny Phantom.

Chapter 10 Friendly Battles

Spitting excess toothpaste into the sink and trying not to think about the chance of nightmares that night, I heard a knock on my room's door. It was peculiar for Vlad to knock. Usually he was the ultimate invader of privacy.

"What do you want?" I called back before rinsing and spitting again. I sighed and rolled my eyes when no one answered right away. I didn't have time for Vlad's pettiness. This was dumb.

"Idiot," I grumbled, walking over to the door and opening it.

Nobody was there. For the first time, I took into consideration that someone other than Vlad had knocked on my door. It could have been Aleksey or one of the guests who had lost his or her way. Frowning, I glanced up and down the hallway for anyone who fell under those two categories. The dim hall was completely empty. Odd.

I was about to shut the door and forget about the mysterious knock when the closet down the hall suddenly opened a crack with a small, soft creak. I froze, my head snapping in the direction of the sound. Okay. Now that was creepy. My head tried to come up with reasons for random opening closet doors. Was I in another nightmare and just didn't know it yet? What else could have made the closet door open unless someone or something was hiding in there?

Trying to be brave, I ventured out into the dark hallway to investigate the closet. I wanted a logical explanation for it opening like that. There had to be one. Besides, if something supernatural was in there my ghost sense would have gone off.

Or that's at least what I kept trying to tell myself.

Ready to have this mystery solved so I could peacefully get to sleep, I grabbed the doorknob to the closet and yanked the door all the way open. Before I could do any investigating, a hand shot out of the darkness and grabbed me by the wrist. It was so quick, I had no time to scream or dodge until I was pulled fully into the closet and the door was closed behind me.

"Hey! Lemme go!" I shouted, trying to yank myself free.

The closet was pitch-black and cramped. I kept slamming into shelves as I struggled with my attacker. He was much stronger than me, though, and he knew how to block or dodge each of my kicks and punches. Panic clawed at my stomach. I could feel it. I was quickly losing this sightless battle. I had to get out of there!

"No! Quiet!" my attacker hushed me as he wrapped a hand around my mouth. "That lightbulb just _had_ to stop working!" he hissed.

That was the last straw for me. My fear electrified all my senses and pumped the reserve of adrenaline through my systems. Desperately, I jammed my elbow into what I thought was his chest. Instead, I nailed a rib and heard the guy give a hiss of pain as his grip on me loosened. I took this beautiful opportunity to squirm free and head for where I thought the door was.

"No! No, Danny! Stop!" my attacker whispered as he came back for me.

I didn't even make it two steps before the man had his hand wrapped around my forearm, yanking me to a sudden stop. Hopelessly, I lunged for the door with my free hand stretched out. It was no use. My fingertips didn't even brush the surface of the door before my attacker jerked me backwards and off balance. The far wall of the closet caught my fall. The hard impact forced a grimace out of me.

My attacker's hands fell onto my shoulders and he shoved me back into the wall, pinning me there. I tried to push him off me, but I just wasn't strong enough without my ghost powers. Chest heaving in fear, I realized I was seriously caught. I felt like a trapped animal.

"W-what do you want with me?" I managed to stamper out. I might as well face the darkness head on. There was nothing else I could do at this point.

"Shh! Danny! It's me!" my attacker said in an urgent whisper. "Toushiro!"

There was a pause between us. The only sound in that closet was my gasps for breath as my brain tried to register the information just given to it. As if on cue, the closet light flickered to life with a feeble buzz. The new lighting revealed the green eyed Japanese man pinning me against the wall. He looked down at me expectantly, his lips pressed into a tight frown. Slowly, he took his hands away from my shoulders.

"Toushiro?" I said with an faint, unbelieving smile.

"That's right, kid," he said with a nod. "You do remember me...right?"

"Remember you? Ha! Of course I d-."

Toushiro cut me off by putting his hand over my mouth again. He sighed, shaking his head in amused frustration. "What part of hiding from Vlad and his pet ghost don't you understand, kid?" he asked me. "I go through all this trouble to lure you outside your room so we won't get caught, and you try to ruin it with your big mouth and elbowing me in the ribs. Thanks."

Rolling my eyes, I shoved away his hand over my mouth. "I'm not the one who had the brilliant idea to scare the crap out of me by yanking me into a dark closet in the middle of the night," I shot back in a hoarse whisper.

Toushiro stood back and folded his arms across his chest. He was trying to look upset, but I could see the smile in his eyes. "What are you doing here?" he finally asked, his voice sounding critical. Although it looked like he missed me and was glad to see me, I got the feeling that he didn't want me here at all.

An explosive sigh burst out of me as I leaned back against the wall. "According to Vlad, I'm on vacation," I said bitterly.

"Vacation?" Toushiro said, raising an eyebrow. "I doubt that's what's _he's_ here for."

"Why are _you_ here?" I asked. "I don't know about you, but Ecuador is a little long way from home, especially if home is Japan. How come I get the feeling you didn't come here for the excellent horseback riding?"

"So Masters hasn't told you a single reason behind coming here?" Toushiro said. I shook my head. "Oh, boy," he sighed, rolling his shoulders in preparation for a long discussion. "We're here for a supernatural fugitive, Danny. I don't know why Vlad wants this guy, but I know why my team is here. This man attacked a few of Mr. Izumi's shipments of 'supplies'. Well, you could say that it made Izumi angry. So he put a bounty on the guy's head and ordered me to hunt after him. You don't screw Izumi over, Danny, without paying the price.

"Anyway, a week ago, my team and I got a tip off that this guy was heading for Ecuador. He's seeking some indian tribe out here. I don't know why exactly, but that's all the information we needed to hop on a plane and book some rooms at this ranch. I expected others to be here hunting him for the bounty, but I'm surprised about Vlad Masters. He doesn't need the money, and he hasn't told you a thing about this man. That doesn't sound like him."

"A supernatural fugitive?" I said with interest. "What do you mean by that?"

"He has supernatural abilities like you and Ran, and he goes around using his powers to destroy things. We don't know what his reason for it all is yet. Maybe he's just a psycho path," Toushiro explained. "We're not exactly sure how he got the powers or how he uses some of them, but we do know what they can do. He has this uncanny ability to vanish in the blink of an eye. That's how he got away from us the last time. And that's just one power of many."

"You think he could be a ghost?" I asked, thinking back to my encounter with the forest spirit that afternoon. I was putting the two together. Maybe this guy was what the forest spirit was so upset about.

"No," Toushiro answered. His brows were furrowed together in thought. It was obvious he was really into this search. He meant business. "This guy is human. But I think that he might be like you, Danny; half ghost and half human. It's possible, right?"

This made me stop and think. Another halfa like me and Vlad? Could it be true? Well, there was Danielle, but she was made by Vlad. Had another accident turned someone half ghost? Could this be a lab experiment from some other ghost fanatic scientist? Heck, it could be another one of _Vlad's_ experiments! The possibilities were endless.

"Yeah, it's possible," I told Toushiro. I glanced up at him, my face bearing all my emotions as I asked him, "Do you really think that is why Vlad is here?"

"Why else would he be here, Danny?"

"Well...this is his uncle's ranch."

"So? He was friends with Katsumi, but that didn't stop him from using you and putting you in harm's way to destroy that golem," he pointed out bluntly. "Why are you defending him?"

"I'm not!" I shot back angrily. Wincing at the harsh sound in my own voice, I had to tell myself to calm down and think things through. Toushiro understood. He watched me closely with a frown as I sighed and explained. "Look, I'm sorry. This is just all new information to me. If you knew the situation I'm in, you'd understand, okay?"

"All I know is that you've been kidnapped again," Toushiro told me, sounding flabbergasted. "That's not a good thing, Danny! I don't care who Vlad Masters is, he needs to be arrested."

"Like I don't know that?" I said, my frustration showing itself in my strident tone. "He's the mayor of my town back home! You _know_ that! Don't you think I've tried to catch him in the act? And trust me, if I could get out of here now without hurting anyone, I wouldn't be standing here talking to you. I'd be back in the States minding my own business."

"I'm sorry," Toushiro sighed suddenly.

My aggression vanished as soon as I heard the apology. I even forgot what I was going to say because I was expecting some kind of long, drawn-out argument. With sick realization, I saw that I was doing it again. Just like the last time when I was dragged to Japan, I was turning into a jerk because of Vlad.

Guilt wrapped itself around my heart. Here Toushiro was trying to help me, and all I was doing was snapping at him like some bratty teenager. Good going, Danny. Real nice.

"You're right, Danny," Toushiro said calmly. "I don't know your situation. I'm sorry for questioning your intentions. You're a good kid and I know that, but this situation is serious. It's just as significant and deadly as the golem you defeated last year. You need to understand that."

"Okay," I said with a somber nod. "I-I'm sorry for freaking out on you."

"You're fine, kid," he said with a grin. I smiled. I missed Toushiro.

"So what can I do to help get this guy?" I asked. "What does he even look like?"

"That's the thing," Toushiro said with an aggravated sigh, folding his arms across his chest. "We have no clue what he looks like. We don't have any pictures and we've had to rely on eye witness accounts. Some say he's tall and buff. Others say he's short and scrappy. His hair and eye color always changes with each report. The only thing that stays the same is a tattoo. It's two intertwined triangles on the left side of his face."

"Well, that should be easy to spot," I said. "Why would he ever get a tattoo on his face? That's just stupid."

"We think it has to do with his powers," Toushiro explained. "That symbol means something in an ancient culture. It was some small, cult-like civilization. My team doesn't have much information on it, it was so obscure. But we figured out it protects us from some of his powers, especially his power to give those around him vivid nightmares."

"Nightmares?" I said in surprise. "I've been getting a ton of those!"

"Then we're in the right place," Toushiro said gravely. He rubbed his chin in thought, his mind miles away from where we stood in the closet.

"So these nightmares are not just me? They could be from this guy?" I asked earnestly. This was awesome! I wasn't going crazy! This was the best news I had heard since Sam's and Tucker's text message in the airport.

Toushiro looked down at me as my question pulled him out of his pondering. He smiled at my excitement while shoving a hand down the collar of his shirt. He pulled out a necklace with a metal charm of the intertwined triangles symbol dangling from it.

As he looped the necklace off his head, he told me, "This symbol has been protecting us from those nightmares you've been having. Here, you can have this one. I have plenty of others just in case I lost this one. Unfortunately, it won't keep you safe from Vlad's ghost friend or the guy we're after."

"That's okay. It'll be good to finally get a good night's rest," I said, trying to downplay my elation as Toushiro handed me his necklace.

I held it in front of my face to get a good look at it, running my finger across the warm metal. I'd be able to sleep and think straight with this puppy around my neck at night. To know those nightmares weren't from my own stress was such a relief. And the news of this supernatural guy explained so many things! For once, I felt like I had an upper hand in this battle of wits between Vlad and I. He was gonna think I was still in the dark about everything, but in reality I probably knew just as much or more than him now.

It felt good to be back in the race.

"What are you thinking?" Toushiro asked me. "What do you plan to do now? Do you have your ghost powers?"

Throwing the necklace around my neck, I answered, "No. Vlad upgraded the watch. I have no clue how to get my powers back until he activates them. But that doesn't matter now. I think there's a way to make him trust me enough so that he shares information with me. Whatever he tells me, I can pass off to you to help you catch this guy."

Toushiro raised his eyebrows in surprise. "You sure?" he asked. "It's a great idea, Danny, but how can you be sure Vlad won't figure out what you're doing?"

"Trust me," I assured him with a grin. "I got this."

"Good," Toushiro said, matching my grin with his own. "Then welcome to the team, kid."

A/N: I'm so happy to bring back Toushiro! He's just awesome. And finally I got to explain the nightmares and bring in an actual plot point! Yay for plot! Although I do enjoy Danny's and Vlad's usual arguments, sometimes I just like to get on with plot and have some action. Still, one of the main things about Powerless and this fic which makes them good are those arguments, so I really shouldn't complain.

But I'm glad you readers are okay with my slower pacing so far. Soon, though, things are gonna pick up and action/suspense is gonna slam its way into this fic. I just have to built up to it. So thanks for hanging with me! I'll see you guys next weekend!

And if you're Canadian, have a happy Victoria's Day!


	11. Chapter 11 Briefest Vacation Ever

A/N: I know. I'm a week late with this chapter. Sheesh. I seriously thought I'd be able to type it all in one week, but then I suddenly got a job where my dad works and BAM! I got super busy. Then I got a bit of some writer's block. I think it was the first really rough patch of block I've gotten for this fic. So right now I'm not satisfied with the chapter, but I think it's good enough to post. Oh well. Might just be me.

Anyways, I really appreciate your reviews! Man. I wish I could respond to 'em all, but I just don't have any time these days. I feel so bad. But thank you anyways for them and reading! Enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own any Danny Phantom characters.

Chapter 11 Briefest Vacation Ever

"Hey, where's Vlad at?" I asked Aleksey as we cleaned up after breakfast. Placing my dishes in the kitchen sink, I said, "I thought he'd be here for breakfast. Is he still asleep?"

"Oh, Vlad? My nephew woke up hours ago. He likes waking up early," Aleksey told me, turning on the faucet and pouring some soap over the dishes. "He went out to the shooting range a little before you came down for breakfast. I bet he is still out there. He tells me it helps him to think. I think he is just violent."

"Oh," I said as I grabbed a sponge to help wash the dishes with. "I guess I could go see him after-."

"Go ahead, boy," Aleksey chuckled, lightly pushing me away from the sink with a strong, bulky shoulder. "Uncle Aleksey can take care of a few dishes. You look like you have something important to tell my nephew. I don't want to delay you."

I grinned. "Thanks!" I told him, handing him the sponge. "Here, you'll need this."

Ten minutes later, I was walking up to the small shooting range that was a quarter of a mile behind the horse barn on the ranch. It was just a simple open pavilion with a overhanging roof to block out the blaring sunlight. The side you shot from had a small, wooden shelf for a person to set their ammo on or rest their gun. Yards away stood the ringed paper targets that had been tied down to hay bales.

Vlad stood at one of the stations. He held a pistol like a professional, taking his time as he aimed for the bullseye. Everything about the man was calm and cool as he took the shot. I had no doubt he hit his target dead center.

As I casually walked up to the range, Vlad suddenly spun around and aimed his pistol at me. Instinctively, I froze as I found myself his new and vulnerable target. An icy fear spiked up my spine when Vlad's lips twisted into an amused grin. At any second he could squeeze that trigger and have me dead. My life was in his hands.

"Relax, Danny," Vlad finally said with a laugh. He relaxed his gun while taking out his earplugs so he could hear me. "It's not like I was going to shoot you."

"You're sadistic, you know that?" I shouted back, stomping toward him.

Vlad placed his pistol on the shelf next to him, asking me curiously, "Why are you here, Daniel? It's not like you to seek out your favorite sadists all by yourself. Usually you avoid me like I have the black plague."

"I was going to ask you something, but after getting aimed at I'm not so sure I want to talk anymore, Vlad," I spat back at him.

"That's fine," Vlad said with a casual shrug. "You don't have to talk as I teach you how to shoot a pistol."

"No. Wait. What?" I said, suddenly not liking this idea or where it was going. I had come out here to discuss things with Vlad, and somehow I'd got talked into a shooting lesson with the maniac.

"Here, you hold it like this," Vlad said, modeling for me before handing me his gun. I hesitated before taking it and trying to imitate how he held it. "Good. Just like that," he extolled me with a nod. He moved so that he stood close behind me so he could properly move and adjust my posture. I didn't like having him that close. It made me tense up. Vlad noticed this right away.

"No. Don't stiffen up like that," he ordered me. He placed his hands on my shoulders, only making me more uneasy. "You have to relax, Danny."

"I can't."

"You can. Now look down the barrel and try to match up your target between that groove you see there." He lifted my chin with a forefinger so that I was looking the correct way. I gritted my teeth in rising aggravation.

"Vlad, I just want to talk."

"When you've done that, take a deep breath." He lightly patted my chest so get the point across. It was like I was on mute or something.

"No. Vlad, listen to me."

"And as you're letting out that breath, squeeze the trigger." Seriously, it was like my words went in one ear and right out the other. It was quickly pissing me off.

"Just let me talk, okay!"

"You can squeeze the trigger now, Daniel."

My anger came to a boil so suddenly, I didn't know what I was doing until it was way too late. Suddenly, I was spinning around and aiming the pistol into Vlad's face, yelling at him, "Will you listen to me for just one second of your life, Vlad?"

"Danny," Vlad said my name calmly. I hated that he wasn't taking this seriously.

"No! Shut up!" I barked up at him.

"Seriously, Danny? You could never shoot me," Vlad chuckled in amusement. He smiled a cruel, sly smile that got under my skin and made me feel like the weakest person on earth.

"Yes, I could," I argued half heartedly. I knew I was lying, but I wanted it to be the truth so badly because just for once I wanted Vlad to see me as a real threat.

"Then pull the trigger."

I struggled for a few seconds, mentally talking myself in and out of shooting Vlad right then and there. It would be so easy. In a way, all my problems would be solved with Vlad dead and gone. Still, I knew I couldn't pull the trigger no matter how hard I tried to believe Vlad's death would be a good thing for the world. I just wanted to believe I had the power. It was a silly, stupid belief that ended as quickly as it started.

"Give me the gun before you hurt yourself," Vlad ordered me, raising a palm up to take the gun.

"Stupid," I grumbled, slamming the pistol down on the shelf. I didn't know if the insult was directed toward Vlad or myself. Didn't matter. With a turn of my heel, I was marching off in the opposite direction.

"Danny, wait," Vlad said, grabbing my forearm in a firm grip. Grunting, I tried twisting my arm free without looking back at Vlad. No use. He resolutely held me there as he said with what sounded like sincerity, "I'm listening now."

"Too late, okay!" I barked back, continuing to struggle. "Now let go!"

To my surprise, he did exactly what I ordered. I stumbled backwards with a dubious look on my face. Eyebrows furrowed together with suspicion, I studied Vlad's face while inwardly debating about leaving. He stared back at me, his eyes just as scrutinizing as mine. I wasn't sure what to do or what to say at this point.

Finally, I decided to suck it up, stuff the high strung emotions away, and play Vlad like I had planned before coming. Leaving to cool off would just make me look like a little kid.

"I wanted to tell you about what happened in the airport," I said, getting straight to the point. Sometimes it was better to go about conversations this way with Vlad. If you looked like you were floundering, he was sure to act like the shark that saw you as his next meal. His words could tear you to pieces.

Vlad's eyebrows rose in surprise. Apparently, he didn't expect me to give in and tell him. He probably thought I'd be my stubborn self and hold that information in. I thought I'd do that too until I ran into Toushiro the other night. That meeting had changed everything.

"You're serious about this," Vlad said, curiosity in his tone. "Why?"

"Because I won't be able to rest or relax until I know for sure what you're doing here," I answered. That was true. I was taking Aleksey's advice wholeheartedly.

"Fine."

"And before I say anything else, you gotta promise me you won't hurt anyone back home," I said. Vlad stared at me, saying nothing. "I'm serious!" I yelled at him adamantly. "How can I ever trust you if you always threaten to hurt or kill off my friends and family whenever I admit stuff? Huh?"

Vlad rolled his eyes, giving in with, "Alright. I promise. Satisfied?"

"Yeah, right," I said sarcastically. "You gotta say it like you mean it, Vlad. You know...with effort."

Frowning, Vlad gave me an odd look as he put his hands on his hips. I didn't know how to interpret the brief expression. It looked like he was frustrated about having to do what I said, but it also looked like he was perplexed about why. The best I could describe it was that he just didn't understand me. He didn't show that emotion a lot.

"If you insist, boy," Vlad sighed, clearly irritated but compliant. He looked me straight in the eye and said with candor, "I promise not to hurt any of your friends or family no matter what you tell me."

"You almost sounded truthful that time," I said with a cheeky grin. "You must have practiced. I'm proud of you."

A faint smile briskly flashed across Vlad's lips before he told me with controlled patience, "Continue to the point, Daniel."

"Oh, right. The airport. Yeah," I said in remembrance. I took a deep breath and slowly let out before admitting, "That guy didn't show me his cellphone because he didn't count the change correctly the first time. It was a text...from Sam and Tucker. They told me they had my back but nothing more. That's it. I didn't want to tell you because I was afraid you might have hurt them like last time. But this trip isn't like the last one."

"I suspected it would be something from them," Vlad said with a short sigh. He then looked down at me and smiled a little. "I won't hurt them, Danny," he assured me.

"Good," I said. "Now you told me you'd tell me what you were doing here if I told you the truth. So spill it."

"You just sold out your friends for my plans," Vlad said with a sneaky grin. "That's pretty diabolical of you, Daniel. I'm proud."

"Hey! That was a calculated risk," I told him sharply. "Superheroes make those too, ya know."

"What if I told you I still wasn't going to tell you anything?" Vlad asked. There was that dreaded smirk again. It made me grit my teeth with hatred. "What would you say then?"

"You...you said you would! But that's not fair, Vlad!" I protested, my heart suddenly sinking. My hands balled into angry fists. Seriously, I wanted to slug the jerk in the face. He surely deserved it.

I'd been hoping Vlad would reveal his plans to me concerning the supernatural fugitive. Depending on what he told me, I could figure out if he was lying to me or not. I was also hoping to win some of his trust, but now it looked like all my plans were failing. This sucked!

"Don't look so upset, boy," Vlad laughed. "I was just asking hypothetically. Of course I'll tell you why I'm here." It looked like he enjoyed seeing my shoulders deflate in relief while my eyes glared at him bitterly. Sicko.

"Hilarious, Vlad," I grumbled, feeling like an idiot when it was really Vlad who was the moron. "You going to be here all week?"

"Maybe you use sarcasm to cover up some feelings of inadequacy," Vlad said, rubbing his chin in thought. I didn't know if he was joking or serious this time, but I had had enough of this. He was just winding me up and waiting for an explosion. If I wasn't careful, I could fall straight into his plans.

"I didn't come out here so you could diagnose me with some kind of problem," I told him, voice as even as I could make it. "Can we get to the point?"

Vlad watched me with calculating eyes as if he was taking in my every action, emotion, and word I spoke. Boldly, I let him process me. I couldn't stop him even if I tried, so I settled with a pinning, critical glare as I waited for him to be done. My fear for this man was gone that day.

"Well then, Daniel. I see you have your heart set on this," Vlad said finally. He motioned for me to follow him, saying, "Come. Take a walk with me as I tell you."

I gladly fell into step beside him as we slowly walked back to the ranch house together. Along the way, Vlad repeated exactly what Toushiro had told me the other night about the supernatural fugitive. He didn't mention the nightmares or the triangle symbol, though. Maybe he didn't know about that yet. But the story was the same about the guy; although, Vlad suggested more that the man was big and rough-looking with tattoos. I found it interesting how much Vlad and Toushiro didn't know about this guy. How were we ever gonna find the dude if hardly anyone knew what he looked like?

"So why are you searching for this guy?" I asked when Vlad was finished. "You planning to capture him, put him a glass box, and run tests on him for the rest of his life?"

"Where do you come up with these wild ideas of yours?" Vlad asked with a chuckle and a shake of his head.

"I buy 'em off eBay for cheap," I answered sarcastically. Vlad raised a suspicious eyebrow as he glanced down at me. I guess he didn't get the joke. Deciding to move on, I awkwardly cleared my throat before asking again, "So...why this guy?"

"I'll admit, I'm interested in his powers," Vlad said honestly. He put his hands behind his back and slowed our pace to something more relaxed. "But I believe it's quite impossible to capture him. You see, he has the power to disappear at any moment. He doesn't turn invisible like you and I. I don't think he even teleports. It's like he simply...vanishes."

"Nice."

"It's more than just 'nice', Daniel," Vlad corrected me. "It's fascinating. I came out here to try and find him so I can get a glimpse of his powers. I'd like to know exactly what he is and what he does."

"Then you'll capture him and treat him like a lab rat!" I said with fake cheer.

"You've seen my labs before. You know I don't keep people there against their will," Vlad told me with a tone of slight irritation.

"True," I admitted after a pause. I'd been in and out of all of Vlad's 'secret' labs over the past few years. Never once had I found someone in there because Vlad had captured him or her. I'd never seen an actual test subject besides some rats and mice.

"What makes you think I'd capture this man now and keep him?" Vlad asked me.

"Because you've kidnapped or beat the crap out of me millions of times," I retorted.

"Do you know how much planning goes into your capture?" Vlad said. "Many months went into that watch of yours. The only reason why capturing you works out so nicely, Daniel, is because I know so much about you, your powers, and what motivates you. Without any of that knowledge, it would be foolish to try and bring you anywhere. Without that watch keeping your powers strictly off and the motivation of your father's life, you'd probably be at your house right now eating that cereal you love and watching cartoons. You have to know someone before you can manipulate them.

"It's the same in this case. I don't know anything about this supernatural man. I don't even know his name. All I want to do is study his powers from afar. I'd be a idiot if I thought I could capture him and keep him anywhere for more than a few days. He's highly dangerous. If I'm not careful, I could get killed. And that is why there will be no capturing of any kind, Daniel. One, it would be hazardous. Two, I don't use human test subjects in my labs. Understand?"

Blowing out a sigh of defeat, I nodded and said, "Yeah. Sure." I paused before asking, "So why did you bring me here?"

"I told you already," Vlad said, his smile returning. "You're here on vacation."

"No. Seriously, Vlad. Why am I here?" Yeah. I wasn't buying his vacation crap.

"I'm not kidding, Daniel," Vlad told me. "When I found out this man was coming here to Ecuador, I saw that I could visit my uncle. It was around the same time I had promised your parents to take care of you during the summer, so I decided to combine my trip here with your vacation time. I also wanted you to meet my uncle. You seem to like him."

"He's a lot nicer than you," I muttered. I was still trying to wrap my mind around the fact that maybe Vlad really did bring me here for simply a vacation. What was I supposed to do with that? If this vacation time was true, if Vlad wasn't going to do anything nasty to this fugitive, and if Toushiro was gonna bring the dude to justice, then what was my job in all this? Did I even have a job? Was I allowed to just...relax?

"You look upset," Vlad observed out loud. "What's wrong?"

"I'm not upset," I sighed. "I...just...I'm confused now."

"And you weren't confused before?"

"For like five minutes there I thought I knew what I was doing," I said with a small, bitter laugh. I clammed up right away. I didn't know why I had just said that to him. It was a rule of mine to never confess what was on my mind to Vlad, and yet here I was breaking it like a moron. Vlad acts like a real human being for two seconds, and I seem to take that as a cue to open up to him. What was wrong with me?

"And this is why I thought you needed a vacation," Vlad said. "You're always over-working yourself and trying to find a fight or a cause to stand up for. I thought for once that we could put our differences aside and have you relax out here away from the pressures of home, friends, and being a superhero."

"I still don't trust you," I said because it was true. And because I had nothing else to say. I really needed some new comebacks. There was a serious lack of them in this conversation.

"I don't expect you to act differently around me, Daniel," Vlad said. "This is your vacation. You do what you want with it while abiding by my rules, of course. But if you want to spend it without having to see and talk to me very often, then happily do so."

We both fell silent after that, but secretly I took him up on that offer.

Maybe I _did_ need a vacation. I'd been working my butt off for so long. Even now, I'd put my heart and soul into investigating Vlad's plans. I'd done the work and put in the effort. No one could argue with me there. The only result I was getting was the opportunity to relax. At first I had thrown the notion away, but now I wasn't so sure.

It all came down to one question finally. What did I want? Not what did Vlad, Aleksey, or Toushiro want me to do. It was what I personally wanted.

I wanted a vacation.

-Later that Day-

Throwing my leg up and over Perro's back, I easily sat myself into the saddle with a certain sense of pride. The other day I had looked like an idiot trying to ride a horse. I really wanted to prove to myself I could learn to do it right. So I snuck out that afternoon after lunch and during Aleksey's siesta to saddle Perro up and ride him around and practice getting on and off.

After an two hours and a sunburn, I felt like it was about time to head back to the stable. Perro was casually nibbling at the tall grass. Looking around, I really felt like we were in the middle of a beautiful nowhere. And that volcano was still so cool to watch. I wondered if I could see it up closer while I was there. Maybe Aleksey could take me. I had to ask him about that later.

"You wanna race back, Perro?" I asked my horse with a pat on his neck.

At the word race, Perro's head shot up at full attention. He finished chewing on his mouthful of grass before giving me a look. From the feel of things from my spot in the saddle, I knew he was getting fidgety about going fast. His hooves pawed the ground in his impatience. If a horse could bounce in place, that's what Perro would be doing. He was a horse that always enjoyed a good run.

"Alright, buddy," I laughed. He really was like a dog sometimes. With my reins, I pointed Perro in the right direction before tapping my heels against his side.

And just like that, Perro took off. I tried to get in sync with his movements to make the ride more smooth. Aleksey had tried to explain the technique to me once, but I hadn't understood it then. The more I rode Perro, though, the more I naturally tried to move my body with his movements so it wasn't like I was some dead weight being jostled around on his back.

As always, the ride was exhilarating. I loved the earthy feel of being on Perro's back and feeling him and him feeling me as we rode. The wind rushing through my hair and blasting against my face is a sensation I've always enjoyed. For a moment I yearned to turn ghost and fly around, free as a bird. I had to push the feeling down before it got too great. It was already gone by the time we were at the stables.

Perro slowed down once we neared the barn. He trotted proudly into the building as if he was the best thing in the entire ranch. With a grunt, I got off his back and patted the sweaty brown fur on his neck. His dark eyes looked at me expectantly.

"Don't worry," I told him with a smile. "I'll give you a sugar cube when I'm done unsaddling you. Just wait a second."

Somehow, I lugged the saddle off the horse's back and put it back on its rack beside Perro's stall. I was about to unhook his bridle, but the stubborn horse decided to back up into his stall before I could get a good grip on it. Firmly planting my feet on the ground, I fought his hard pulls while grumbling about Perro's impatience under my breath.

"Come on, boy," I grunted with another tug. "This doesn't have to be so diffic - AH!"

Perro had sharply snapped his head to the side, forcing me off my feet and to fall forward. I landed on my stomach in the smelly hay in his stall. Panting, I picked myself up off the dirty floor and dusted my clothes off. I was about to tell Perro a thing or two, but suddenly I heard familiar voices from outside the stall.

"I don't understand why you want to talk in here," Aleksey's voice was saying as he and someone else walked into the stables. They couldn't see me because I was well hidden inside Perro's stall.

"I don't like that group of Japanese tourists you let in last night," Vlad's voice answered. "I don't want them listening to anything we say. We both know what they're here for."

I had suddenly found myself in the middle of a Vlad and Aleksey conversation. It was one I'm sure I wouldn't normally be allowed to hear. From the tone in their lowered and serious voices, I could tell they were here to discuss some important business.

Instinctively, I hid. No way was I gonna reveal my location now. I didn't care if I had decided to be on vacation. A little spying and eavesdropping never hurt anyone. Besides, if I missed out on an opportunity like this I'd be one of the most idiotic superheroes known to mankind.

Ducking down, I moved toward the corner of the stall where the pair wouldn't be able to see me if they walked by. I pressed my back against the wall and listened with great interest.

"I know how you feel about them being so close, but you know what I say about their kind. Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer," Aleksey said. "Do not worry about them. They suspect nothing."

"Good," Vlad said, satisfied with whatever his uncle was talking about. "I trust you'll take care of them. Keep a close eye on that Toushiro character. I had a nasty run in with him in Tokyo last summer. He's not as weak as he seems. Most of all, don't let him and Danny see each other. If they met up with each other, I'm not sure how severe my plans for him would have to change. I don't want that to happen."

What were they talking about? What were they planning to do with Toushiro? Very quickly, this fun game of spying was turning sour. My heart accelerated the more I listened. I didn't like where it was all going.

"I'll be sure to do that," Aleksey said with an air of confidence as if the deed was already finished and completed to its fullest. Curiously, he asked, "How is that coming along, my boy? Did my advice help?"

"You did a perfect job, uncle," Vlad said, pleasure hidden behind his veil of refinement. "Danny came and saw me this morning. He admitted to the fake text message from the airport, and I told him as little as I could about Taj Nice. I didn't mention the nightmares to him. We still need his nightmares to guide us to Nice. Keep asking him if he haves them. At least we know Nice is somewhere close by now that his nightmares returned."

"Good. Good," Aleksey grumbled. He didn't sound as pleased as his nephew as he asked Vlad critically, "How long do you plan to keep up this charade? I am telling you, Vlad, that boy will never be yours."

"I didn't say it would be easy," Vlad coldly snapped back. "Danny will be swayed by my actions as long as he never finds out about Nice's powers. If we keep up this act of kindness and I continue to twist his mind about all those pathetic morals he hangs so weakly to, he'll eventually come to me. I want his decision to trust and believe in what I say and do to look like it was his own, free will. This is the only way to do it. Trust me, uncle. In a few days, the boy will mine to mold and manipulate."

As the conversation further unfolded, a painful realization gripped me. They hadn't been talking about Toushiro at all. They were talking about _me_.

A/N: Since I'm so busy since work started up again, I can only hope I have a chapter up next weekend. If I do, it will probably be a short chapter. If not, it will be in two weeks from now. Thanks so much for dealing with it all, though. I'll see you guys next chapter!


	12. Chapter 12 Window Jumping

A/N: Woo! I'm on time this week! And I actually made it a long-ish chapter. I'm feeling pretty accomplished right about now. Ha ha! More fun stuff this chapter. Thanks again for all your reviews! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Danny Phantom.

Chapter 12 Window Jumping

I felt like the very air in my lungs had been snatched out of me. It was like someone had taken a heavy baseball bat and used my stomach as bating practice. Although it had only been just words, what they were saying hurt and crippled me just as much as punches would have. I wasn't quite sure what I felt most at first: betrayed, hurt, angry, confused, scared, humiliated, stupid.

Only a few minutes ago I had truly believed I was going to have a vacation for once. My mind had finally wrapped itself around that luxurious idea. Now my eyes had been opened. This whole time I'd been played like a complete fool. Everything had been a set up just for me. It was like a freaking three ring circus with me performing in the center, doing all the cute, little tricks Vlad the ringmaster told me to do. I really was a pawn; a stupid pawn that thought it was as powerful as a queen in Vlad's chess game.

It made me sick. Literally and figuratively. I seriously wanted to barf up lunch. It was almost too much.

This changed everything. All that I had been thinking about Vlad and Aleksey would need to be drastically rearranged. I had to make myself understand in that split second that everything Vlad had done and said to me over the past few days had been a calculated chess move against me, no matter how sincere or honest it looked like it was. Also, I had to see Aleksey in a new light. He was on Vlad's side and manipulating me just as much as Vlad was. Every good and nice thing about him had to be erased in my mind. That was painfully hard. I had liked and looked up to Aleksey. Now he was the enemy.

Everything was a confusing mess. I didn't know how I was going to clean it up. Hell, I didn't even know where to begin or what I'd do once I started. I needed to focus and get my head back together. I needed to think things through, but it was like my mind was locked up. It wouldn't budge. All I could do was stare dumbly at the wall in shock.

It was Aleksey's voice that snapped me out of whatever daze I'd been caught in.

"Why is that stall door open?" he was saying. "I thought I told those tourists to close the stall doors even when the horses are out."

He was walking over the Perro's stall. I could hear his footsteps getting closer with each passing second. Alarm rising in my chest, I suddenly thought about what would happen to me if I was caught listening to this conversation.

Someone could get killed.

Eyes wide in panic, I lunged for a thick pile of hay and dove into it. Didn't matter that the stink was just under the level of unbearable or that I was probably laying in Perro's pee and poop. I had to hide for my life. If that meant lounging in some horse crap, I was totally fine with that. Anything was better than getting caught by Vlad right now.

Just as the hay around my body settled and I forced my body to freeze every muscle, the two men were there at the door. They peered into the stall with confusion.

"Oh! Perro! You're in there!" Aleksey said in surprise when he saw the horse already standing in the open stall. "Good horse. It is good to know that at least one of my horses will stay in his stall even if given the chance to leave." He chuckled good-naturedly while patting his horse with affection.

"Do you think Danny took Perro for a ride and forgot to close the door?" Vlad asked.

"Maybe," Aleksey answered. As he patted Perro's neck, he noticed the sweat. I feared I'd be spotted at any moment. My heart was beating so loud and fast in my ears, I thought for sure that everyone could hear it. "Looks like someone recently rode him."

"Where is Danny, exactly?" Vlad asked. It took everything in me not to bolt out of there. I felt trapped although no one had seen me yet.

Aleksey paused to think back to a few hours before. "We were talking in the main room after lunch," he said slowly. "I think I fell asleep. He wasn't there when I woke up. Do you think he ran away?"

"No," Vlad said mater-of-factly. "If he wanted to get away, he would have done it at night so that he could get a good head start, and he would have done it a long time ago. He doesn't suspect anything. There's no possible reason why he'd try to leave. He must be somewhere on the ranch. I wouldn't be surprised if he's in his room right now sleeping."

"But what about the horse? He's been ridden recently."

"We didn't see anyone come by us on our way out here," Vlad told his uncle. "It could have been Danny, but I doubt he's anywhere here now. He's probably back at the house. And if it was him, that's excellent news. It means my conversation with him this morning finally sunk in and he's trying to have some fun."

"I'll have to tell him to shut the stall door next time then," Aleksey said with a dissatisfied grunt. That said, they turned and started to walk away. I didn't move until a minute after I last heard their footsteps fade.

Choking on the awful smell, I scrambled to my feet and brushed off all the hay from my clothes and hair. I smelled like a latrine. It was so gross! I couldn't complain, though. That stuff had totally saved my life.

Numbly, I walked back to the ranch house. I took off my shoes and rolled up the ends of my pants before going in. They'd suspect something if I trekked in horse poop footprints all the way up to my room. Swiftly and quietly, I ran up the stairs and entered my room. For a minute or two, all I did was stand there, working past my mental block. It was crucial for me to gather my wits about me, set myself a plan, and tread carefully.

First, I needed a shower. I hopped into the shower with all my clothes on. They'd know what was up if they had to wash my smelly clothes. I'd have to do that myself. So I stripped while in the shower and rubbed soap all over the fabric and my body as my mind furiously worked itself to get a plan together.

There was no time for panic or fear. Vacation was officially over. It was superhero time. It was either get my act together or get myself or someone else killed.

While drying myself off and getting into a clean pair of clothes, I settled on a small, desperate plan. I needed to get that remote to my dad's watch away from Vlad. Before I could go anywhere, I needed to do that. As soon as Vlad didn't have that hanging over my head, I could try to escape. Escape plans could be made later. Right now my only focus was that remote and pretending to act like everything was fine. That last part was going to be hard. Vlad always had an uncanny ability to know when I was faking something or lying. I wouldn't be able to keep up my game of charades for very long.

Walking out of the bathroom and drying my hair with a towel, I froze at the sight of Vlad sitting patiently on my bed. My first instinct was to panic, but I pushed through the feeling somehow. I had to remind myself that just because Vlad was there didn't mean he knew I'd been eavesdropping.

"There's this thing called knocking," I told him, folding my arms across my chest. "But I guess I can't expect you to know what that is. Common courtesy isn't one of your strong points."

Vlad leaned back on the palms of his hands, his eyes raking over me as his lips curled into one of his smirks. "Why did you take a shower now? What did you do this afternoon that made you sweaty enough to have to take a shower?"

"You want to know my hygiene habits?" I asked with a disbelieving laugh. "Creeper."

"Where did you go this afternoon?"

"Aw, you missed me, Vladdy? How sweet."

"You snuck out of the house without telling me or my uncle where you were going," Vlad told me seriously but still wearing that awful smirk. "If you can't keep tabs with me, Daniel, I can only assume the worse. I don't want to punish you for you forgetting to tell me where you're going or avoiding the subject altogether."

What a load of bull crap. What made me sick was the fact that if I didn't know better I probably would have bought right into it. Vlad didn't care. He was just trying to cover his tracks. Maybe he suspected I could have spied on him, but he was just trying to disprove his doubt by interviewing me like this.

"What happened to a vacation?" I asked, trying to sound disappointed. "What's all this about punishment?"

"There won't need to be any punishment if you tell me right now where you were after lunch," Vlad said.

"All I did was take Perro for a run," I told the truth. "That a crime now, is it? Did I break one of your stupid rules?" Vlad had to have that information. He knew I'd gone for a ride. If he got any other answer from me, he would know I was lying.

"Calm down," Vlad ordered me. "You didn't break any rules. You're fine."

"Well...good," I said, not sure where I was going with this conversation. "Because I didn't do anything wrong. And I shouldn't be feeling bad for sneaking out of the house to do it. You said this was my vacation; then freaking let me do what I want, Vlad!"

Vlad lifted his hand up as if to look non-threatening and to calm me down. "I just want to know from now on where you're going and for how long," he assured me. "You don't even have to tell me. If you wish, tell Aleksey where you'll be. Understand?"

"Fine," I said, trying to keep in a snarl. Everything Vlad was saying seemed so innocent and sincere. Knowing that it was all a lie that I could have believed under other circumstances was making my blood boil. "Now can you please go?"

"Of course," Vlad said with a shrug. He stood, saying down to me, "Aleksey wants you to know that dinner is ready. That's why I came in here in the first place."

I didn't want to eat. Food at this point would only make me sick. But I couldn't show that to Vlad. He'd know something was wrong; so, forcing a smile to my lips, I said with fake excitement, "Awesome! Food! I'm starving!" I took dinner time as my cue to run out the door and away from Vlad.

Soon as I was out of sight, my smile dropped into a grim frown. I knew what was coming, and I knew I wasn't going to like a single minute of it. I'd have to pull off a lot of lies, fake all my emotions, and give pretend smiles galore if I was going to please my crowd.

Dinner that night with Vlad and Aleksey was going to be hell.

-Later that Night-

Oh, I had to be crazy!

Gritting my teeth, I stretched my arm as far as I could to the upper window ledge. Once my fingers found purchase, I slowly and carefully scooted the rest of my body farther down the lower window ledge. I kept my eyes on my goal: Vlad's room's window.

After dinner, I had excused myself on the claim that I needed more sleep. Vlad and Aleksey let me go before they both moved out to the main living room to talk. I made sure they were fully occupied with a chess game before I decided to put my plan into full gear.

Either Vlad had my dad's watch's remote somewhere on himself or in his room. I wanted to start with his room before I had to devise a scheme to pickpocket Vlad. Because his room's door was always locked and I didn't know where Aleksey kept the spare key, I thought to try and enter from his window. To do that, I had to exit my own room's window and jump over to his. This was easier said than done. If I made one bad move and slipped, I could get seriously hurt and probably discovered by Vlad.

So that's how I found myself that night clinging to the side of a ranch house in the middle of Ecuador. Times like these always made me miss my ghost powers. Life was just easier with them.

Letting out a nervous sigh, I looked around to make sure I was in position to jump to the next ledge. I hesitated for a second before taking the plunge and leaping. I'll admit, I was surprised when I stuck the landing. I thought it would go horribly, but all that happened was a small slip which I quickly corrected.

"That went better than expected," I giggled to myself. I was just happy to still be alive.

From my back pocket I took out a knife I'd stolen at dinner. I used it to pop out the screen that prevented me access into Vlad's room. He already had the window slightly cracked. Any fully grown man would have trouble fitting into the cramped space, but being a teen helped me here to squeeze through the gap and land inside Vlad's dark room.

I had come prepared. I put the knife away and replaced it with a small flashlight. While I could always turn on a light, I feared I could get caught that way. It was better to use a flashlight than risk Vlad walking by his door and noticing a light on that wasn't supposed to be.

Starting at Vlad's bedside table, I searched for the remote and anything else that would give me an upper hand. I checked everywhere I could think of if I was hiding something important. I lifted the mattress, opened every cabinet, checked behind hanging pictures, and shifted through clothes. The more I searched, the more I was starting to panic. I was risking so much doing this, and here I was finding nothing besides his pistol and our passports.

Desperate now, I moved onto the bathroom. My eyes were furtive in their search as I looked behind the shower curtain and even took off the heavy lid to the toilet's water tank. I didn't find a single success until I checked the cabinets under the sink. It was hard to notice, but there was a small groove in the wood at the back of the cabinet. It was only because I was looking hard for it and knew the levels of paranoia Vlad would go to to hide his secrets that I was able to find it.

"Bingo," I whispered before putting my flashlight in my mouth and taking out my knife. I used the knife to pop out the hidden panel just like I did with the window screen. What I found was a treasure chest I never wanted to find.

There was no remote.

What was there was a file, a manuel, two stacks of American money, and a necklace.

The file was all about this supernatural fugitive. His name was Taj Nice. There wasn't a picture of the guy, but there were witness and police reports with his physical and power description. Vlad had been telling the truth about his one power about vanishing, but there were plenty more he hadn't mentioned. Like how Taj caused nightmares to anyone close to him and had the possibility of traveling to a different dimension. That was new.

At the end, there were some of Vlad's notes. A lot were about the dimension and how it was connected with Taj's ability to vanish. Vlad was very interested in this guy. From the dates of the reports and the notes, it seemed like Vlad had been researching and stalking this guy for years! Vlad knew more than what he was letting on. He also knew a lot more than Toushiro's team.

One note in particular stood out to me personally. It was one of the last ones and it was about using me as a tracker...and bait. Vlad was planning to use my nightmares to guide him closer to this guy. And then once he gained my trust, he was going to urge me to try and bring Taj out of hiding.

But why? What did Vlad want with Taj? What did bringing him out of hiding have to do with Vlad's overall plan with this guy and with me? Vlad had a strong motive for this. I just didn't have a clue what it was.

At the time, I didn't even think about those questions or what the answers might have been. All I knew was that I was in way over my head. Vlad not only wanted me to be a little, obedient clone of himself, he wanted to put me in danger for his plans with Taj Nice. He wanted to kill two birds with one stone here.

I couldn't take it. I'll admit that I was scared. Toushiro had told me that this Taj guy was serious and just as deadly as the golem. Sooner than later, Vlad was going to discover that I had eavesdropped on him. Once that happened, things would go downhill very fast. I'd be forced to do whatever Vlad wanted and any amount of resistance could result in my own or my dad's death. That terrified me.

I wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. Vlad was good at looking past my lies. I didn't think I could last another day before he knew what was up with me. Hell, he probably knew already that there was something wrong and I was fixing to bolt from the place. His perception skills on me were that good.

So it was at that second that I decided that escape had to be right then and there. I couldn't wait another moment. I couldn't wait to try and get the remote. I needed to leave.

Hands shaking, I put the folder down and moved onto the manuel. If it wasn't for the picture of the watch I was wearing on the second page, I don't think I would have known what it was about at first. My eyes lit up in surprise as I flipped through the pages. It was all hard technical terms I didn't quite understand, but I made out that it was talking about the programing of my watch. It was exactly what I needed.

My breathing was hard as I rolled up the manuel and shoved it into my back pocket. I quickly lifted the necklace up. It was exactly like the one I was currently wearing to protect me against the nightmares. He knew all this time where the nightmares had been coming from. What a liar.

"Bastard," I muttered, stuffing the necklace away in my pocket just to spite the man. I hoped he didn't have extras.

It was a no brainer to grab the money. I had no convictions about it. I'd probably use it better than Vlad ever did.

Quickly, I put the cover back in it's place, leaving the file there. It was useless to me. I rushed back into the room, grabbed my passport, and paused to stare at Vlad's pistol. It was a serious weapon that I would have never thought about using...until now.

This was survival now. It wasn't a game. And to survive, I was going to need all the help I could get.

I grabbed the pistol and the extra magazine and put it between the small of my back and my jeans before squeezing out the window. Vlad would know that I was there as soon as he came back into his room, so I decided to skip putting the screen back on. Instead, I threw it off to the side and jumped back to my window.

Once inside my room, I did a slapdash packing job. I brought along an extra pair of clothes, a filled water bottle, two granola bars I'd stolen from the kitchen the other night, my sunglasses, bug spray, the watch's manuel, money, passport, necklace, knife, flashlight, pistol, and extra magazine.

Zipping up my backpack, I thought of one last thing before leaving: Toushiro. He had to know what was going on and why I was taking off so soon. I hated to leave him like this, but I feared for my life and others'. He needed to know that he should be doing the same.

I scribbled out a note for him explaining everything. Making sure the coast was clear, I peeked outside my door for any sign of Vlad or Aleksey before rushing down the hallway to where I knew Toushiro's room was. I slipped the note under his door and ran back. Silently, I wished him good luck.

My brain and my body had gone into autopilot. There was a sense of urgency as I stripped my bed of its sheets, ripped them up, and tied the pieces together, but there was no other emotion. I felt numb. It was as if survival mode had kicked in and it had no room for anything else but action. While I hated that feeling, it was saving my life.

I escaped my room the old fashion way. I tied one end of my makeshift sheet rope to the sturdy bedpost and dropped the other end out the window. Eyes narrowed in fear and determination, I swung my backpack over my shoulders and descended from my two story window with nothing but a simple sheet keeping me from falling.

As soon as my feet were on solid ground, I was running. I didn't have much time before Vlad figured out I was gone. I needed a head start. I tried not to think about what Vlad would do to me if he captured me again. If I thought about it too much, I'd only have a panic attack. There was no time for a mental break down. I had to keep moving.

I burst into the stable in a frenzy. It was dark and most of the horses were asleep, but Perro welcomed me with a friendly and excited neigh. As fast as my unsteady hands could work, I saddled and bridled him.

Horses must have some sort of sixth sense, because Perro soon began getting agitated and nervous about my hurried actions. He knew something was up and he was getting all irritated about it. I had to calm him down somehow, before he woke up all the horses which may in turn alert Aleksey and Vlad.

"We're going for a short ride, buddy," I told him, patting the bridge of his nose soothingly. "Please, be good for me this one last time." We stared into each other's eyes for a moment before Perro snorted and nodded. I swear he understood every word I spoke. It made me grin.

I easily got into the saddle this time. My practice that afternoon helped me a lot. Now that I thought about it, it was only because of Perro that I had been able to spy on Vlad and Aleksey. The horse might have actually saved me life. I needed to thank him at some point. Now wasn't the time, though.

"Alright, Perro. You ready, buddy?" I asked, steering him toward the open stable doors. I swallowed the lump of fear in my throat. It was no turning back now. I was getting my ass out of here and away from Vlad. It had to be done.

Perro was fully prepared to go fast like he always was. I could feel his eagerness. He was ready. I was ready.

"Go!"

A/N: Finally Danny tries to escape! I know you guys are probably thinking the same thing. Ha ha! But being a bit stupid is in Danny's character, I think. I mean, he's smart and resourceful when he's under pressure, but there are times in episodes that I watch that I just laugh at how stupid or naive he is. If I was put into Danny's position, I'd be trying to escape day one. But, thankfully, I'm not Danny. Ha ha!

Anyways, got some fun stuff planned for next chapter. It will be day one on the run for Danny. Fun stuff is sure to ensue! See you guys then!


	13. Chapter 13 When the Universe Hates You

A/N: Sorry for the delay, but life is getting pretty busy on my end. Lots of work and another move is in my future. There might be some more delays in the future; just as a fair warning. Also, like I said last chapter, I've been suffering from some writer's block. Anyways, you didn't come here to read my complaining. On with the chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own any Danny Phantom characters.

Chapter 13 When the Universe Hates You

"Why do manuals have to be so hard to read?" I mumbled around the flashlight in my mouth. My jaw was hurting from holding the thing there for three hours. My hands were busy with my watch and holding its stolen manual steady so I could read it as Perro plodded slowly along the dirt road.

It took me an hour to even figure out how to unlock the watch. Vlad had written the manual so that it was impossible for anyone but himself to read. I didn't expect anything less annoying. This is the paranoid fruit loop we're talking about.

Releasing another tired sigh, I closed my eyes to smother away my stirred up emotions so I could focus on the watch again. This was number one priority. I hadn't forgotten about the tracking device that that was in my watch last summer. I didn't even need to assume there was one in the watch this time. I just knew. Vlad would never take that feature out.

I _needed_ it out, though. I wasn't going to get far with that kind of device acting like a bright, flashing beacon following me wherever I went. Vlad was going to find me in the matter of hours if I didn't get rid of the thing quickly enough.

"Just...just read it again," I ordered myself, flipping back to the beginning of the tracking device section. I knew escape would be hard, so I was just going to have to suck things up and fight till the end. And right then my battle was with that dumb manual. I was going to keep reading till I got it right.

Twenty minutes later, my determination paid off. Somehow (I'm not quite sure) I managed to cypher the right combination on the watch face to pop out a small computer chip. It ejected from the watch's wrist band with a small whirl. I let it drop into my palm with excited surprise all over my face.

"Awesome! In another two years I might actually get the whole watch off me!" I said, pumping my fist in triumph.

I was about to crush the small tracking device in my hand, but I suddenly thought better of it. Maybe Vlad didn't expect me to be able to read and cypher through his manual. If that was the case, then suddenly killing the signal would alarm him. He'd know I was making progress and would do whatever he could to stop me before I got too far away. So if I tossed the thing somewhere, he'd just think I was camping out for the night. If he thought that was just sitting still, he wouldn't bring the calvary with him to catch me because he'd rather be all sneaky about it. Right now he didn't need to draw attention to himself. It would be better if he still believed I was easy prey.

"I might be your prey," I muttered as I tested the weight of the tracking device in my hand. Throwing the thing as far as I could into the dark jungle, I said, "But I sure as hell won't be an easy one."

About an hour passed before I happened upon a kind of toll booth station on the winding dirt road I'd found. Three police officers were loitering around the little booth. The station was the only light for miles, so I was prepared for what might happen and what I was going to do when I finally rode up to them.

The bored and sleepy police officers weren't prepared to see a white kid my age on a horse at that time of the night. It was clear by the bewildered look on all their faces that they were either wondering how much they really had drank that night or if I was some crazy gringo who had found himself some awesome pot. I would have laughed if I didn't have an image of cool confidence to keep up for them. Vlad had taught me this technique. If you acted like you knew what you were doing, it was less likely anyone would call you on it. I just hoped I'd be able to fool these guys, 'cause my insides were twisting in anxiety the closer I got.

"Hey," I said, smiling down at the three slack-jawed officers. "I know. This is weird. But I really need your help."

No change in emotion on any of their faces. They didn't say or do a thing.

"Don't any of you speak an ounce of English?" I asked hopefully, keeping a nervous chuckle inside me. "Please? I don't know any Spanish except for like two words: hello and bathroom. I don't think that will help any of us right now."

Finally, one of the men who looked like the leader of the three broke down into a fit of laughter. Once he started, the other two had to laugh as well. I gripped Perro's reins in unease. Even though they were police officers, I was smart enough to know that not all policemen are nice, nobel guys, especially in a third world country where we were out in the middle of nowhere. For all I knew, some bandits had stolen some uniforms and they were posing as officers at this booth to get some money. I had to be very careful around these men.

"Look," I told them, hoping they'd catch onto my English, "I've just got a question to ask of you guys. Alright?"

The leader officer gave me a cruel smile, showing me his brown teeth before he spat to the side. He folded his arms across his chest as he looked me up and down. I'd seen that look before. It was mean and calculating. I didn't trust this man for a second. He said something in Spanish to his cronies before addressing me in a heavily accented English.

"What is you want, chico?" he asked, voice having a conniving tone in it that matched the look in his beady eyes.

I swallowed hard, glancing quickly at the two other officers that were slowly surrounding me on the horse. My heart was slamming hard against my chest as I said calmly, "Do you men have a phone? I really need one."

"_Un __teléfono?_" the man said as he rubbed his chin in pretend thought. He was toying with me. I could see that I was making a huge mistake coming to these guys for any kind of help. I should have told Perro to take off then, but I was really hoping for a phone to call home. "No. No, senior. No telephone. _Lo siento_."

As he was saying this, his two men were checking me out and walking around my horse. Perro was getting antsy just as I was. He knew there was something wrong, and he wanted to get out of there fast. I had to keep him steady with my reins. I'd never seen him this disobedient before. Usually he did whatever I told him to do.

Before I knew it, I was totally surrounded and the three men were zoning in on me. One was trying to look casual as he rested an elbow on Perro's butt. Another was touching Perro's reins. I shot him a dirty look to back off, but he wasn't threatened at all. He only gave me an oily smile in return.

"Hey! I don't want any trouble, okay? I have money to give you, if that's all you want," I told them, now fighting to keep Perro still as he jerked around. "I just want a phone."

"We want _all_ your money," the lead officer told me phlegmatically.

By that time, my confidence had fractured into little, tiny bits. It was obvious I was scared. Without ghost powers, I was as vulnerable as any other human my age. My distress showed as I asked with dread, "A-all my money? I don't think I can g-!"

It happened so fast, I hardly knew what had happened until I was on the ground. The leading officer had grabbed my wrist with one hand and gathered a handful of my hair with his other. Yanking me back by my hair and painfully twisting my arm, the man practically threw me down off my horse. I tried to stay on so I could bolt out of there, but the brute force of the man was too much.

I landed on my side with a yelp of surprise and pain. Dust collected into the air from my impact with the dirt road. It collected into a dense cloud around me, attacking my senses and forcing a cough from my throat.

A boot slammed into my shoulder as I tried to get to my feet. It knocked me onto my back. Before I could get up, the man sat right on top of my chest, crushing the air out of me. Fighting to breathe with a roughly 200 pound man sitting on top my of stomach and rib cage, I watched as he grinned maliciously down at me and flicked out a pocket knife. He pressed it against my aching throat, chuckling when he saw me flinch.

Swallowing miserably against the blade, I forced my body to cease its squirming. I didn't want get cut. That was the last thing I needed that night.

While the officer had me pinned to the ground, the other two officers were having problems with Perro. The horse was having a fit, snorting in anger and nipping at the two men as they tried to control him and calm him down. They didn't know what to do, and I could see that my horse was too stubborn to do anything these guys tried to make him do. I was afraid Perro's rebelliousness would get us both killed.

"It's alright, buddy!" I called over to Perro. Although the animal was a horse, at that moment I truly thought of Perro as my dog who was trying to protect me. "Just do what they say."

Almost instantly, Perro gave a finishing irritated snort before standing still. The officers slowly approached Perro, fearing he'd try to kick or bite them again. Once they saw he was compliant, they grabbed his reins and led him to the booth to tie him up.

Meanwhile, the officer on top of me grabbed a fistful of the front of my shirt before wrenching me to my feet, keeping the knife at my throat. He spun me around and jerked off my backpack. I wasn't about to lose that. My very survival was in that backpack. So it was only natural when I grabbed one of the straps and tried to yank it back.

Swearing at me in Spanish, the officer jumped forward while swiping his knife at my shoulder. The blade sliced through my skin, promptly bringing forth blood and pain. Hissing at my stupid move and the discomfort in my shoulder, I stumbled backwards.

The three officers laughed callously as I looked down at my new wound. Blood oozed out of the clean cut, staining my sleeve as it ran down my arm. A grimace crossed my face, which prodded more chuckles from my adversaries. They were really getting a kick out of how idiotic and how helpless I was compared to them.

That was it. I had had enough with this crowd. I didn't think I'd need to use the weapon so soon, but the sight of blood changed my perspective. If these guys were willing to cut me like that, they could be willing to kill me. I couldn't allow any of that.

"Bad move, dude," I growled, reaching behind my back for the pistol that was hidden under my shirt. I whipped out the gun and aimed it at the officer holding my backpack just like Vlad had taught me.

All three officers froze with looks of shock and fear on their faces. If it wasn't for the shrill jungle sounds continuing around me and the buzzing of bugs near the lone street lamp overhead, I would have thought that time had been put on pause. They didn't expect me to be packing a firearm. Good. I liked seeing the terror in their faces as they realized they had messed with the wrong kid.

"Give me back my backpack!" I barked at the lead officer, my eyes quickly shifting to keep an eye on the two officers off to my side. When none of them moved at first, I panicked and shouted forcefully, "Now!"

The officer winced before carefully scooting forward with my backpack outstretched toward me. Even with the pistol loaded and drawn, I still felt like a cornered cat. I didn't know if I was prepared to shoot any of these men. I couldn't even shoot Vlad when I had the chance. Would I be able to defend myself here if they called my bluff?

Gritting my teeth against the pain, I used my wounded arm to grab my backpack from the man and threw it over my shoulder. I tried not to let my arms and hands shake as I kept up my stance with the pistol. The badass pose and attitude was really just a show for these thugs. On the inside I was petrified.

"Over there! Move!" I ordered the main officer, using the pistol to point toward his buddies. He nodded, murmuring apologies in his own language. I watched him move, following him with the barrel of Vlad's gun.

Couldn't believe I was pulling this off. Couldn't believe I'd ever pull a gun on someone.

What had Vlad turned me into?

I furiously ignored the question as I slowly inched toward Perro. The whole time I made sure the gun was trained on the group of men. Once I was where my horse was tied up, I was faced with the problem of untying a knot with only one hand. The men knew I'd run into this problem. I could see it in their eyes. They were just waiting for me to look down for more than a second so they could strike.

"Be prepared to run, Perro," I whispered fearfully to my horse as I struggled with the knot. Every one of my muscles felt like they were tightened in my anxiety.

Eventually, the lead officer made a move toward me. I was almost done with the knot, but seeing him move so boldly was enough to set me off.

"Hey, no! Get back!" I shouted at the man, thrusting the pistol forward. He hesitated, but I caught his flash of a smile. He had my number. He knew I wouldn't be able to pull that trigger.

"Damn!" I cursed, throwing caution into the wind as I shoved the pistol back into my jeans and used both hands to undo the knot. All three officers rushed forward. They were too late, or maybe I was too quick. I kept one hand on the reins as I threw myself up into the saddle.

Perro didn't need any prodding or a green light from me. As soon as my butt was in the saddle, he was off. He was so quick, I was almost yanked out of my seat. I didn't care, though. When all was said and done, Perro had saved my life once again.

Gasping in relief, pain, and distress, I glanced behind my shoulder at the booth. The men weren't following me. They knew I wouldn't be back and that I wasn't worth the fight. I was thankful for that, but even when the kiosk was out of sight, a feeling of foreboding was still on me. I guess it was because I had almost gotten seriously hurt or killed. If it wasn't for that dumb pistol and Perro, I have no doubt I'd still be in their clutches. It was a chilling reminder of how human I was with that watch on my wrist.

I really, _really_ missed my ghost powers.

Early morning arrived with the beautiful view of burning red sun along with a small, poor village on the horizon. Perro and I plodded into the settlement of tiny concrete and wooden hut homes with a sense of weariness and dread. The handful of inhabitants stared at me like I was some god. I didn't feel like one, that's for sure. With my wounded shoulder, dusty appearance, and blood shot eyes from lack of sleep, I probably looked like a dying hobo than the white American rich boy they all thought I was.

Perro had carried me all night long without any food or water, and the sad part was the fact that I knew I couldn't keep him for much longer. I needed faster and easier transportation. Still, I was going to hate parting with the animal. He was my only friend out here in the hostile jungle. I was going to miss him.

I made sure Perro was well cared for when I gave him to man who had a wife and two daughters. He also owned a small food stand for passing travelers who needed a quick bite. I shelled out plenty of Vlad's cash for a handful of chocolate bars, peanut butter crackers, some fresh bananas, two extra bottles of water, and a cold glass bottle of Coke. I even gave him a little extra for his family. There was plenty of Vlad's money. Spending it on a good family trying to make it in life was better than hoarding it for myself.

"Be nice for these people, Perro," I told my animal friend, patting him affectionately on the neck as I prepared to leave. "I'm sorry I can't take you with me, but things are gonna get pretty dangerous once Vlad realizes I can make sense of his manual. Thanks for sticking with me, buddy. Hopefully, we'll never see each other again."

Goodbyes said, I started walking. I forced myself not to look back. This whole escape was about leaving behind things that were in my comfort zone. The hard path in front of me was something I needed to do alone. I couldn't allow others to get hurt.

I was scared. I won't deny that. I was freaked beyond belief about what was in my future, but as I popped open that Coke and chewed at my first banana for breakfast I began to realize that my fears weren't going to stop me. The fight was still in me. I was going to go down swinging. To do that, I was going to have to face all my fears head on.

At that point, I could only hope I was prepared for it all.

After an hour of walking, I knew it was time to find a ride. The sun had hardly risen and I already was wiped out from the heat and humidity. I'd also spent the entire night on the run, ran into some bad cops, almost got killed, and was actually stabbed. My body couldn't pump any more adrenaline to keep me going. If I wasn't careful, I could crash.

So I was reduced to a hitchhiker.

Luck found me in the form of an old, beat-up pick up truck. It putted pathetically down the winding, pot-hole-ridden road like a dying grizzly bear. The driver was just as old as his decrepit truck, but that's what I was hoping for. Maybe 'cause he was old he'd take some sort of pity on me or wouldn't try to hurt me. I'd have some sort of advantage.

I motioned for him to stop after I sized him up from the side of the road. At first he looked scared and wasn't going to even slow down, but once he saw that I was from the States he coaxed that poor car to a stop. His weary dark eyes were embedded in a face full of sun tan wrinkles. With those eyes, he took me in with confusion and curiosity.

"Can I ride in the back of your truck?" I asked him, pointing to the truck bed to see if he'd understand. He glanced over to where I was pointing, but he still looked hesitant and confused.

"Oh! I'll pay you!" I said with a grin. He jumped a little when I shoved a hand into my backpack and pulled out two fifty dollar bills. His eyes widened in surprise when he spotted the money. They got even bigger when I handed them to him and said, "I think that's good for a ride into the next town, right? Please."

The old man gently took the money in his gnarled, calloused hands while he nodded to me. "_Sí_," he said with a timid smile. There was passion in his quiet voice as he said, "_Muchas gracias._"

A smile broke out onto my face at these words. "Awesome!" I said. "Thank you so much, dude! I swear, I won't bother you. I just need a ride." He nodded and waited for me to hop into the back.

As soon as the truck started to roll forward, I almost regretted picking the vehicle. Even though he was going as a pace a little faster than a jog, the bumpiness was next to unbearable. Gritting my teeth, I was thrown up and down, left and right at every pot hole we dipped into. The truck bed vibrated as if I was sitting on a constantly working washing machine. I wouldn't be surprised if I turned into jello after this ride.

It took me a while to get used to the constant jolting around, but eventually the muscles in my body were trained to ease the bumpiness so that it was less severe. Once settled, I decided I needed some sleep. My body had been on go mode for almost 24 hours non-stop now. I needed to keep up my energy.

Despite the worries troubling my head, the pain in my shoulder, and the uncomfortable truck bed, my fear had rendered a raw feeling in me that put me swiftly to sleep. It felt like I had just draped a T-shirt over my head to protect me from the sun before I was groggily waking up again to the sound of someone crawling into the truck bed. As soon as my head registered the fact that I wasn't alone, my good friend adrenaline spiked me into attention.

I quickly sat up, using one hand to grab Vlad's pistol while using the other to whip off the shirt on my face. I aimed the gun at guy who sat stone still on the other side of the truck bed. He couldn't be more than a couple of years older than me. A hood hid his face from me, but I could see that he was Caucasian and very surprised and scared to see me and the gun.

"L-look," he said, his voice just barely loud enough to be heard over the puttering truck motor. "I'm not h-here to h-hurt anyone." Thank god! Someone who spoke English!

On any normal day, I would have put the gun away and give the dude a chance to naturally open up to me. But this wasn't a normal day. This was survival.

"Then why are you here?" I questioned, keeping the gun aimed at his chest. I tried to keep my voice level but stern. He had to know I meant business. I wasn't going to allow another disaster like what happened with those police men happen again to me. "And while we're at it, take off that hood so I can see your face."

"B-but," the guy said. He sounded terrified. His stuttering was making me feel guilty, but I couldn't take no or any excuse for an answer.

"Take it off and answer me!" I barked before he could finish his sentence.

Slowly and hesitantly, the guy raised his hand to his face and lowered the hood to reveal a young face of a teenager, messy and mousy hair, golden brown eyes that had seen too much of the world, and a tattoo etched on the side of his face from his temple to his chin line. The two triangles connected by their intertwined points looked like an artistic hourglass. Whoever had done the symbol was skilled with the ink.

My heart sank at the sight of the tattoo. The blood vanished from my face, and my eyes widened with fear and confusion. This _kid_ was Taj Nice! I had somehow crossed paths with the most wanted person in Ecuador...and I was holding a gun at him.

It was sheer proof that the universe hated me.

A/N: I never let up on this kid, do I? It's like one bad thing after another for poor, ol' Danny...and yet I never get sick of it. Fun chapter, though. I know Danny is being a little bit of OOC with him waving a gun around at people, but I think at this point his character is strong enough to do such a thing for his own survival. This fic will delve a lot into the depths Danny can go to protect himself, the ones he loves, and the morals he stands for. On the other hand, it will also show the depths of evilness Vlad will steep to to get what he wants. Fun stuff is ahead.

Anyways, thanks for reading! Hopefully, I'll be able to update next weekend, but I'm not sure at this point. I'm going to have work a lot this next week. We'll see. Later!


	14. Chapter 14 The Hour of Introductions

A/N: I got good feedback from all my reviewers on Danny's character in this fan fic. I'm glad you guys don't consider him OOC. That means I did a good job building him up to this point in the fic! Which makes me happy. Anyways, there's a ton of fun stuff in this chapter and the ones to come, so we must get on our way! Enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Danny Phantom. Every other character is mine, though!

Chapter 14 The Hour of Introductions

"T-truthfully, I'm here to find someone, sir," Taj Nice said, sounding just as scared as I was at the moment. He held his hands up to show he wasn't any threat, but I knew otherwise. This kid was deadly! Man, I was so in over my head, it wasn't even funny.

I didn't respond. I just stared at him in disbelief as I kept the gun leveled toward his chest. My mind had gone into a lock again. Fear had sealed it shut. My breathing quickened to the point that I was almost gasping. All I could do was swallow in a panic.

Taj must have noticed my distress. He hesitated before asking, "Are y-you okay?"

"You're Taj Nice," was all I could say. It was stupid of me. I should have pretended I didn't know who he was. Maybe he'd think I wasn't a bother if I didn't know who he was. I think my mouth does stupid things when it panics.

"It's pronounced niece, a-actually," Taj said as if it was an automatic response. Then it seemed to click in his head that I knew who he was. A dread came into his eyes as he asked quickly and quietly, "How do you k-know w-wh-who I am?"

I shook my head, trying to shake off my paralysis before it got me killed. "Look, kid, I mean sir...er...Taj? Mr. Nice? Whatever," I stumbled over my sentence with a flustered sigh, "I didn't mean to hurt or scare you. I'm just trying to get back home. I don't want anything to do with you. I'm sorry."

Taj studied me for a moment, his eyes holding a million of unasked questions for me. I stared back, slowly lowering the gun to show him I wasn't a threat. The more I watched this kid, the more I was starting to have doubts that he was so dangerous. He seriously looked like a lost, scared mouse out here in the middle of the jungle. His hair was greasy from probably a week of unwash. His face and arms showed signs of sunburn. His ratty clothes were stained with sweat and dirt. The hoodie he wore looked like the sleeves were ripped off. He looked more like a hobo than the supernatural fugitive Toushiro and Vlad made him out to be. Actually, now that I got a good look at him, he seemed familiar. It was weird.

Finally, the teen said, "I think this is o-one, big misunderstanding."

A relieved smile twitched onto my features. "No kidding," I said, putting the gun back in its place in my jeans. "We're good, right?"

"You didn't shoot me. I'll call that an improvement to our relationship, sir, but I don't think I'm over my scare just yet," Taj said. He released a sigh that made him look like a deflating balloon as he sat back against the back of the truck. He had stopped stuttering. That was good. Maybe it was just a nervous habit of his.

"You don't have to call me sir, dude," I said. "We're like the same age. How old are you, anyways?"

"Seventeen," Taj answered with surprising honestly. "You?"

"Oh, um, sixteen," I said. I don't know why I told him the truth. I guess it didn't matter.

"How do you know my name?" Taj asked me again. "And what do I call you?"

They were both tough questions. I thought about making up a fake name, but I realized that it would be pretty useless. If Vlad was looking for me, he'd just have to ask someone if they had seen a white kid. Names didn't really matter out here when you stuck out like a sore thumb.

"Call me Danny," I said reluctantly. I licked my dry lips before saying carefully, "And how 'bout we make a deal? I won't ask about your past if you don't ask about mine. Alright?"

Taj regarded me for a second before breaking out in a timid smile and nodding. "Ignorance is bliss, as they say," he said. The smile didn't meet his eyes as he added more quietly, "I understand."

"Thanks."

"I mean, it's not like you're after me," Taj explained, staring at the truck bed as if he was thinking out loud to himself. "You're just a kid...unless y-you're a trap. L-like a lure." His eyes instantly shot up and connected with mine. There was fear in that gaze.

"I'm not a trap," I assured him. Sheesh. This guy was just as paranoid as I was. I couldn't help but feel bad for him. Still, I didn't let the rumors of danger fall away just because Taj didn't look very fierce. My nerves weren't relaxed. They were still coiled and ready for the flight response if Taj tried anything that wasn't to my liking.

"Then how do you know who I am?" he asked, trying to keep the desperation out of his voice. "I'm sorry to ask, and usually I wouldn't, but this is pretty important...right now...with what's going on."

"I'm not answering that question," I told him. "Trust me, dude, you don't want to know my story. It would just put both of us in danger. I can't afford that."

"Oh ho ho no," Taj said, shaking his head. "No, sir. I _have_ to know. How could someone like you know who I am? How could you be afraid if you didn't know what I could do? Did someone tell you about me? Oh, jeez! Did something supernatural attack you? Is that why you have that cut on your shoulder? I'm so sorry if that happened because of me!"

"Whoa! Calm down!" I demanded. Taj's persistence was freaking me out. It was what he said about something supernatural attacking me that caught me off guard to the point that I sputtered out, "No. I ran into some bad cops a few hours back, but, seriously, that crazed up margay was you?"

"Oh, n-no!" Taj said in something near to a squeak, vigorously shaking his head. "W-whatever you're talking about w-wasn't me. But I just know that it sometimes happens...because of my powers. If you know me, you know about my powers, right?"

"Well...yeah."

"And you believe in my powers?"

"I-I guess so." Great. Now he got me stuttering. I couldn't help it. I was in the hot seat with his questions and pinning stare.

"You're s-still s-scared of my powers, aren't you?" he asked, sounding just as scared for some reason. What did he have to be afraid of? If his powers were all true, couldn't he just vanish like he always did. He wasn't in any danger here. I was the one who could lose my life!

"Hey, I put away the gun," I said with a nervous chuckle. "What do you want with me? I'm just trying to get to the next city by nightfall. I have no beef with you, dude."

"Y-you must have powers too," Taj said, voice dead serious. He stared me right in the eye as he continued. "W-without seeing me use any of my powers, you believe and know I have them. A normal person w-wouldn't believe w-what I could do for a second, Danny. But you're not normal. You've must have seen things that no one else can explain."

"You don't know me," I said in something close to a whisper. I was officially creeped out. Taj was smarter than I first gave him credit for. He had already put two and two together, and we had only known each other for less than 5 minutes.

This wasn't good. I was fully ready to bolt. I could walk the rest of the way.

Taj's morbid curiosity about my powers quickly vanished as soon as he saw the fear on my face. He flinched before hurriedly apologizing. "I-I'm s-s-sorry, Danny," he said, wringing his worried hands in anxiety. "I sh-shouldn't have s-said anything. That's your business. Not mine. I'm s-sorry."

What was this kid's deal? The more he talked, the more he confused me. I couldn't figure him out. One second he looked determined and on a mission; the next, he was apologizing out the wazoo. There was something good in him that I could see he wanted to hang onto, but it was obvious life had not been kind to him. His nerves were spent. He was a nervous wreck, and my presence wasn't helping things.

Jeez. I couldn't help but feel like I was going to end up like him in a few days the way things were going. I was already a bottle of nerves. If I wasn't careful, I could be just as skittish as Taj. It scared me.

"Hey, it's okay," I told Taj after a long pause for thought. "Just...let's let it drop. I don't feel like talking, okay?"

"Okay," Taj said, nodding in understanding.

"You want a granola bar?" I asked, trying to change the subject to relieve the awkward situation that was pressed upon us.

"Oh, um, I couldn't," the teen said with a shake of his head. "You probably need it more than I do. We hardly even know each other."

"I have plenty of money for food out here," I told him with a grin. Rummaging around in my backpack for the bar, I said, "It's the least I could do. You look like you're half starved, anyways."

I shoved the bar across the truck bed. It hit Taj's sneaker. He stared at the piece of food for a second in surprise before gently picking it up, carefully unwrapping it, and then sniffing it. I shot him an odd look. He paused, his cheeks turned a slight pink under his sunburn.

"Just...um...checking for poison. No offense," he explained with a fleeting smile.

I actually laughed. "But what if the poison is odorless?" I asked. It was the wrong question to ask at the wrong time. Taj had already taken a big bite out of the bar. He stopped in mid chew, looking like he was going to vomit all the sudden. Backtracking, I quickly assured him, "It's not poison, dude! I swear! I just know it can be that way...from experience."

"Oh," was the only thing Taj could say with his mouth still full. I noticed he chewed that first piece for a few minutes before finally finding the courage to swallow. But after that he snarfed the granola bar down as if it was going to be his last meal. With Vlad on his trail, I was wondering if it really was going to be the last thing he'd ever eat.

I felt guilty for not warning Taj about Vlad, but I couldn't allow myself to get distracted. I needed to get out of Ecuador as quickly as possible. Still, now that I was sitting across from Taj, I could see that the kid wouldn't be able to put up much of a fight if Vlad found him. Could I convince Taj that he needed to do what I was doing and get out of the country as quickly as possible? Would he believe me if I told him about Vlad? I didn't even know what Vlad was planning. All I knew was that it was bad. How could I ever begin to explain that to Taj?

Before I could think about what I'd say or not, trouble came our way. It came in the form of a truck in the distance that was quickly gaining on us. I first saw the dust cloud before I could make out the passengers. My heart sank at the sight of about half a dozen men sitting in the truck bed with rifles stationed at their sides or slung around their shoulders. They could have easily been heading toward the next town like what Taj and I were doing, but I wasn't convincing myself any time soon. These men looked like they were on a mission. And I could get rid of the bad feeling that their mission was finding me.

"T-this doesn't look good," Taj stated the obvious as soon as he saw what I was staring at. He threw me a glance, asking, "Are they for you or me?"

"I don't know," I said, shaking my head. Quickly, I started to shove my belongings back into my backpack. "But we need to get out of here."

"G-goody," Taj muttered sarcastically. He stared at the other truck for a minute or two as if thinking through things before he turned to me and asked, "Where are you going to go?"

"The jungle maybe? I don't know," I said again, standing up and throwing my backpack over a shoulder, "and I don't care. Whoever those people are, they don't mean well. You can stay here if you want, but I'm leaving before I get caught. You should be doing the same."

"I...um...I w-wouldn't-," Taj said as I banged on the truck's roof to tell the driver to stop so I could jump off. If I hurried, I could make it into the jungle. That could keep those guys off my trail for a while, right? I could only hope.

Taj looked like he was wrestling with himself to say something as he watched me throw a leg up over the side of the truck. I tried to ignore him. If he wanted to stick around and get caught, that shouldn't have been my problem.

_BAM!_

Taj and I gasped at the gunshot. The bullet hit the back window of the truck, shattering the safety glass into millions of pieces and leaving behind a gapping hole. If my heart was beating fast before, it for sure was going fast now. Both of us glanced back at the other truck that was still racing to catch up with us. One of the men was lowering his fired weapon, his dark, glaring eyes pinned on me as if in warning.

We only had a few seconds before they'd be on us. Logic told me to get out of there. I couldn't get caught. Vlad would skin me alive!

"Please d-don't do it," Taj told me, seeing the look of desperation in my eyes as I stared out at the jungle only a few feet away. I shot him a scowl. "They'll sh-shoot you, Danny," he said urgently. "Do you know what that feels like?"

I winced. I did know how that felt. Painful, to say the least. Vlad shot me in the shoulder last summer. I had been in ghost form at the time. I didn't want to think about what it would feel like if I was human. With an untreated bullet wound, I wouldn't make it very far in the jungle and on the run. I'd be a goner. Did I really want to risk that?

"Then what do you suggest we do?" I hissed back at Taj.

Taj swallowed his constant fear and frowned more as he said nervously, "I h-have a f-few tricks up my sleeve. T-trust me, okay?"

"Trust you?" I said with a bitter laugh. "I hardly even know you! For all I know, it could be because of you I'm getting caught right now!"

"I'm s-sorry," Taj apologized, wincing at my brutally truthful words. Great. More guilt. But there was no more time for arguing. The other truck was on us and I could make out every face in the vehicle as it pulled up behind us in the one lane dirt road.

"Fine," I whispered to Taj with an uneasy sigh. "This is now your show, alright? I hope you know what you're doing."

"Oh, yes...me too," Taj muttered, slowly standing up beside me.

We were forced to watch as the four Ecuadorian men in the back of the other truck casually got out. They stationed themselves on one side of the truck and aimed their rifles at us, their faces all expressionless. I felt like I was being monitored by cows. The passenger seat's door opened, and the leader of the bunch stepped out with a reluctant sigh. There didn't seem much concern on his face as he glanced at Taj and I over his aviator glasses.

The man put his hands on his hips and slowly walked over so that he stood in between his handful of men. Although it was obvious he was in charge of this operation, he wore the tan cargo pants, combat boots, and red sleeveless shirt that all the other men had on. As he chewed loosely on a piece of gum and summed the both of us up, the guy slowly took his sunglasses off as if a sunnier view of us would fix whatever problem he had. Frustration showed itself on his face when his brows came together and a frown twitched at the corners of his thin lips.

There was complete silence for a moment. Finally, our truck driver said something in Spanish. The leader didn't even look at the old man as he snapped something back that sounded like a warning. Our poor driver quickly nodded and shut his mouth, looking very frightened. I was just glad they didn't kill him. I'd feel awful if that had happened.

Never taking his eyes off us, the leader of the group took out walkie-talkie from his belt, pressed a button on the side to talk, and asked into it in pretty good English, "I might be looking at the boy you want, señor. Which one is he? The one with the tattoo on his face or the one with blue eyes?"

There was a long pause from the other end. I wasn't surprised at all to hear Vlad's voice as he asked, "What kind of tattoo is it, Diego?"

Crap.

No. This was more like an "oh shit!" moment. Vlad had hit the jackpot today. He had found both me and Taj Nice in a single second, and he totally knew it. We were screwed. It almost made me sick just thinking about it.

Taj and I shared a quick glance. He looked just as scared as I felt. Somehow, we both knew what we were in for. Despite the fact our lives were going to hell in a hand basket, there was something comforting knowing I wasn't in this alone. It was a selfish feeling, but it was there, nonetheless.

"I don't know," Diego, the leader, said into the walkie-talkie as if this entire day was a waste for him. He sighed before saying, "It looks like...I don't know the English word for it. It's that shape you learn in elementary school...with three points...but there's two of them...put together."

"I understand," Vlad said through the speaker. He then asked curiously, "Can they hear me, Diego?"

"Yes, señor," Diego answered. His dark gaze took us in as if we were semi interesting now. I wondered what Vlad had told him when he hired the man and his team to capture me. Did he know what Taj or I could do or why we were so important? Probably not.

"Good," Vlad said. "Then this message is for Danny." I instinctively stiffened up, and Diego's eyes instantly locked onto me. In that second, he realized I was Danny. I clenched my jaw in anger as Vlad said in a smug, all knowing voice, "Good work, Daniel. Not only did you manage to get yourself captured so soon, but you found the very person I was looking for. I'd like you to know that I'd been planning to use you to find Mr. Nice in the first place, but it looks like you're on top of things. Thanks to you, I'm ahead of schedule. You really are a brilliant piece of work, Daniel. Give yourself a nice pat on the back for me."

"Go to hell!" I seethed.

"What did he say?" Vlad asked Diego.

"He told you to go to hell, señor," Diego said without any enthusiasm at all. I caught the small twitch of his lips, though. He wanted to smile but was denying all outward display of emotion. This was a man who knew how to hide his feelings very well.

"Now don't be a sore sport, Daniel," Vlad chided me with a chuckle. "You lost. That's no surprise."

"It's not a game, you bastard," I whispered angrily under my breath. I couldn't help it. The man pissed me off too much. He still thought this entire thing was one, big chess game he was winning. Didn't he realize how terrified I was? If he did, did he even care?

Only Taj heard me. His golden brown eyes regarded my face quizzically. It didn't look like he blamed me for what was happening; although, it really _was_ my fault. It was like he understood my emotions were honest. I didn't know how to take that. Taj was an odd guy.

"I'll see you and your new friend soon, my boy," Vlad told me before addressing Diego. "Take both of them. Don't worry about costs. I'll pay you for both their heads. Be careful with Danny. He has a gun and might be a bit desperate. You may use force, but don't kill them. Understand?"

"Yes, señor," Diego responded blandly. He sighed while putting the walkie-talkie back in his belt and pulled out a pistol. Chewing on his piece of gum as if the motion of his jaw was as habitual as walking, Diego put his sunglasses back on and said, "Play time is over, chicos. If you come with me without fighting, I promise my men and I won't hurt you. Claro?"

"You p-promise?" Taj asked in his usual fearful squeak.

I shot him a deathly glare. What was he doing? Was he betraying me already? I couldn't believe this!

"What is it you North Americans say? Uh...I cross my heart and hope to die. You have my word," Diego said, remaining deadpan as he actually crossed his heart with a finger. I didn't care if he promised me a flying pony. There was no way I was giving up without a fight!

"O-okay, then," Taj said with a spineless nod. He shuffled forward to hop off the truck like the little lying traitor he was and leave me to defend for myself. In his nervousness, he tripped with a yelp.

That's when all hell broke lose.

Thick, purple smoke instantly filled the air between Diego and his men and Taj and I, cutting off all visibility. Diego swore in Spanish before yelling at his team to act. They couldn't shoot at us because the smoke was in the way. They couldn't take the chance of firing a shot and accidentally killing one of us. That was the only thing that kept Taj and I alive that day. Taj knew that all along too. He was a lot smarter than I thought he was.

A hand grabbed me by the shoulder and yanked me backwards. I was too stunned to react at first. I wasn't quite sure what was going on and where the smoke had come from. All I could do was stumble over the side of the truck, choke my lungs out on the smoke, and follow whoever was dragging me into the jungle.

Gah! That smoke stuff burned my eyes, nose, and throat as if its mission was to kill every sense known to mankind. Once it hit my stomach, I wanted to stop running and puke breakfast onto the jungle floor right then and there. If it wasn't for the person still clinging onto the sleeve of my T-shirt and tugging me forward, I would have done just that and more. Passing out or curling up into a ball were options I debated.

It took me a while to get over the horrible sensation. Pushing tears out of my red, stinging eyes, I squinted forward and saw it was Taj who was my rescuer that afternoon. With a panic in his wide, honey-colored eyes, he guided me forward in a frantic rush without looking back at the road. He didn't care about getting lost in the jungle. He just wanted to get away from Diego and his men. I liked his plan. It was my plan too.

"Man! A little warning would have been great back there, Taj!" I croaked out. As I picked up my own pace and began to stride next to my not-so-traitorous friend, Taj let go of my shirt and shot me a diffident smile.

"I'm s-sorry, Danny. I couldn't tell you. You had to look convincing for those men," Taj said as we ran. It more like stumbling than running, though. There were too many protruding roots, slippery mud puddles, random rocks, and low hanging tree branches for us to whack or blunder into for us to actually take three good strides in a row.

"I'm not actually too angry no - ouch!" I admitted as my face slapped against a branch. "You got us both out of that mess like you said you would. Thanks. But I have to admit that I doubted you for a second."

"If I was you, I would have done the same," Taj said with an understanding nod that was cut short as his muddy shoe slipped on the smooth surface of a rock. The teen fell to his hands and knees in the mud with a wince. He had cut his knee open in the fall. Blood ran freely from the wound. From the grimace on Taj's face, I assumed it was pretty painful.

Putting on my brakes, I skidded to a stop before going back to help Taj to his feet. My head snapped up in alert when I heard Diego shout something to his men. From the sound of their voices, I could tell they were very close. Too close for comfort. We needed to get a move on or that whole smoke trick would have been for nothing.

"Come on! Hurry!" I urgently hissed at Taj as I offered an outstretched hand. Thankfully, Taj grabbed my forearm.

That's when my world changed. Literally.

If I had blinked, I would have missed the transformation. There was a quick, bright flash that reminded me of whenever I turned ghost. After the flash, the jungle plunged into darkness. The trees around us turned into long, creepy shadows. All jungle sounds from the bugs, frogs, and birds ceased completely. It was as if the world had been put on mute. An ominous mist curled around my feet. A red sun hung in the black sky like a sinister, ever-watching eye. It provided me with just enough light to make a little out of my new, scary surroundings.

"What happened? Where are we?" I asked Taj as I stumbled back in fear and surprise. But mostly fear. Even with my experience with ghosts and the Ghost Zone, this place terrified me beyond belief. There was something very evil about it. Somehow I just knew there was absolutely nothing good in it. That's what scared me most, I think.

When a light clicked on, I actually gasped as I turned to find the source. It was only Taj with a flashlight. If he didn't have the same physical appearance from before, I wouldn't have thought it was him. He had turned into a completely different person.

Taj's eyes were set into a constant glare. The innocence I'd seen in them were gone. What resided there now was something hard, cold, unsympathetic. Instead of his tanned, smooth skin, Taj's complexion was pale and ashen. Scars ran up and down his more muscular arms, and a few dotted his face. His tattoo remained untouched, but the black ink had changed to the color red.

What really surprised me was Taj's new arsenal. Instead of concealed, little tricks he probably literally had up his sleeves, Taj now had multiple weapons, big and small. Two grenades and different kinds of ammo lined the front of a belt slung across his chest. Two pistols sat at his hips. An actual baseball bat was strapped to his back. In his hands was a shot gun that he was reloading with a calmness I knew Taj didn't normally possess.

Whatever happened to the squealing, stuttering mouse from two seconds ago? He was armed to the teeth! You'd think was preparing for war or something! And what was with the creepy scene change? What had that smoke done to me? Had I tripped and hit my head too hard? I had no clue what was going on.

"Wh-what the hell happened?" I asked in something between panic and hysterics. I ran a hand through my hair, glancing around the scary darkness. I very much wanted to go home at that point. I would have done anything if it would mean I'd be returned to the Fenton household. I even considered crying.

Gulping down my fear, I glanced back at Taj and asked almost desperately, "Where are we?"

Taj finally looked up from putting shells in his shotgun. He flashed me a grim smile as he finished the job, steadied the weapon against his hip, and said with a reluctant sigh, "Welcome to my world, Danny."

A/N: I know. Another cliffhanger. I'm sorry, guys, but I'm addicted to 'em. You guys should know that by now. But a lot will be explained next week's chapter. Hopefully packing and work won't get in the way, but I think I'll be good. See you guys then!


	15. Chapter 15 Waving My Superhero Flag

A/N: Sorry for the delay, but I've managed to deliver a pretty long chapter for you readers since I missed last week's update. I won't lie; It's a pretty odd and maybe slightly disturbing chapter. Tell me if it's too dark. I tried to rein in my love for horror writing by keeping some things light, but I just can't help myself at times. But thank you so much for all your awesome reviews! I'll actually have time this week to answer you guys, so feel free to ask all the questions you like and expect some kind of an answer! Enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Danny Phantom characters. But I do own Taj Nice. He's all mine and you can't have him!

Chapter 15 Waving My Superhero Flag

"You gotta be kidding me," I muttered, taking another second to scan my creepy surroundings. It was like we'd been transported to someone's worst nightmare. It sent icy spiders up and down my spine. "Are we seriously in another dimension?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Taj said. He sounded steady, but I saw the guilt in his eyes. He hadn't meant for any of this to happen to either of us. His apology was more like the old Taj. It almost comforted me as he said, "I-I'm sorry, Danny."

"But how'd we get here? What did you do?" I asked.

I was trying my hardest to stabilize myself by asking questions I could only hope Taj could answer. While I was confused beyond belief, I had to remind myself that we weren't being pursued by Diego and his men anymore. Vlad couldn't touch me in this world...whatever bizarre, freaky world I was in. I couldn't break down into a full blown panic attack in front of Taj, for both our sake's. For at least a few more minutes I had to keep myself together.

"_I_ didn't do anything," Taj said, shooting me a critical glare. "_You_ did. Whatever your power is, it activated mine. What are you anyways?"

"Huh?"

Taj raised an eyebrow, a wry smile crossing his face as he pointed at me expectantly.

Frowning, I glanced myself over for the first time. I gasped when I saw my black and silver jumpsuit uniform. Alarmed, I ran my hands through my now white hair as if the movement would allow me to see the actual color. Taj patiently waited for me to get over myself. While he wasn't a nervous twitchy little thing in this world, he still had his old polite attitude about things. Somehow, he was still the same Taj from before.

"This dimension brings out the stronger side in people," Taj explained to me. "Whatever you are, that form is stronger than your human one. That's why you automatically transformed into it when I accidentally transported you with me here."

"But - my ghost powers - they were taken away," I said, trying to work things out. Taj said nothing, but his eyebrows did raise in interest before he instinctively swept his gaze around the haunted-looking jungle. "That watch took all my powers away. How could I still change?"

"Then you still had some power left in you, apparently," Taj stated. He saw me frown before saying hesitantly, "And sometimes this place does weird things to other people who accidently come with me...which is very few. It's different for me because I've had to learn the rules myself and deal with it for so long. I don't know the rules for others. I'm sorry."

I stared at Taj. He stared back, looking guilty and helpless even with his gung-ho gun getup. I'd suddenly lost all will to ask my millions of questions. I didn't know what to do.

Fortunately, Taj did.

Unfortunately, it wasn't because of happy causes.

A rustling sound from some bushes came from our side. Taj reacted before I did. He quickly aimed his shotgun in the direction of the noise as he briskly walked toward me to close the gap between us. I swallowed in fear as I backed away from the noise. I had the feeling that the inhabitants of this world were not kind, pretty creatures that wanted to invite us back to their house for a cup of tea. No. Whatever was here was far from hospitable.

"We need to move," Taj said in an urgent whisper, his eyes never leaving the area the sound had come from. He motioned for me to move to our left with a throw of his head. I didn't hesitate to obey. If this was his world, he was the expert. I wanted to obey the expert.

"Wait!" Taj ordered sharply before I could take a second step. I froze, alarmed by the young man's tone. "Don't move, Danny! Not yet."

Taj Nice was very scared. He hid the emotion well in this world, but he was still scared out of his mind.

"What's going on, Taj?" I slowly asked when Taj didn't say anything for a few tense seconds. A swift glance at his face told me he was thinking, calculating our next moves with careful but quick planning. "Fill me in here, please," I almost pleaded. "If you need me to do something, tell me."

"We're being hunted," Taj told me flatly. He shot me a hasty look to catch my reaction. My eyes widened since the thought behind that statement was new for me to grasp, but my face showed no other emotion. On the inside, though, I was having a hard time keeping down the panic.

"By what?" I finally asked. Did I really want to know?

"You may not want to know right now," Taj said grimly, as if reading my mind. He gripped his shotgun tighter before he side stepped toward me, saying, "They're surrounding us. If they don't attack us any second now, we're going to break through by making a run for it. I'll give us cover fire. What can you do with your powers?"

"I-I can fly," I answered.

Taj paused in mid step, glancing up at me with a look on his face that made me feel like a moron. The look was fleeting. Soon, the expression was replaced with its opposite: a smile. "You, sir, might just become my new best friend," Taj told me.

Before a smile could make it to my face, they attacked.

It was as if they were waiting for Taj to get distracted. The first one came from my right. It charged right out of the dark foliage and wet fog with blinding speed, fearlessly throwing itself at Taj with a primal snarl. In the darkness of night, all I could see was a human-shaped form barreling out of the jungle and narrowed red eyes that were zoned in on its prey.

While it was quick, I was used to looking out for the enemy from years of superhero work; I was quicker. Taj hardly had a chance to react, so I reacted for the both of us. I rushed forward, slammed into Taj, and turned both of us intangible as we stumbled to the muddy ground in my mindless haste. The attacking form went harmlessly through us on our travels to the dirt.

I landed on top of Taj with a wince. As I propped my hands up on either side of his head, I caught him staring at me in shock. I don't think he expected me to ever have powerful enough abilities to help out in this world.

Taj pulled himself out of his shock in a whirl of seconds as more of whatever creatures charged for us. As I looked up from our position on the ground, I saw one coming from ahead. Taj saw one charging from behind. In seconds, we were going to be either dead or severely hurt. Whatever these things were, they meant harm.

We reacted roughly the same time. My hand glowed green as I let it flow with ectoplasm energy. Thrusting my palm forward, I released the energy, aiming for the fast approaching creature. Just as I defended us, Taj expertly aimed and fired his shotgun at the one from behind.

Two wretched, angry cries of pain sounded in the darkness as our aims were true. Taj and I took this time to scramble to our feet. I was up first, and - with a yelp of fear - shot another ectoplasm ray at a creature that was coming from my left. Taj hadn't even gotten off the ground before he was forced to fire another shotgun blast at one.

"Go intangible again!" Taj gasped as he shoved his shotgun into his belt and grabbed my arm. "And cover your ears!"

He didn't have to tell me twice. Soon as he said the word, I forced the boundaries of matter and solid objects of that world out of my mind. Covering my ears with my hands, I watched as Taj yanked out a grenade from the belt around his shoulder. Whatever creatures that hadn't been killed or too badly injured were coming at us again as Taj fumbled with his grenade. Their blood-lusting eyes were the only things I could see in the darkness. They reminded me of the haunting moon in the sky as the orbs approached at inhuman speeds. Taj pulled the pin out with his teeth because his other hand was busy tightly gripping my arm. With a little spite flaring up in his glare, Taj tossed the grenade only a few feet away.

"Oh, this is going to be _fun_," I said sarcastically as soon as I realized what Taj was doing. Things were going to get gross very fast.

_BOOM!_

The explosion cut off all my sense of hearing for a few seconds. I'd squeezed my eyes shut so the blast wouldn't blind me. When I opened them, the world was fuzzy and disoriented. Debris rained down around us: dirt, rocks, burning plants, and the occasional bloody body part or obliterated tissue. It was sick. Disgusting. Taj had lured the creatures in and blown most of them into smithereens. My stomach wrenched as I had to fight down the urge to vomit.

"You-you just blew them all up," I muttered quietly. The sight had put me in a daze.

"Not all of them," Taj said matter-of-factly, swallowing hard as he leaned against me for support. He looked just as shook up as me, but he was somehow keeping it together.

He nodded to two creatures that had been on the outskirts of the explosion. It was only then that I got a good look at what we had been fighting. Their wounds had slowed them down enough for me to properly take them in.

While they looked human, I could tell these people were far from the humans I was used to seeing. They had the basic shape of a human, but their limbs were practically skeletons; with gray skin slapped on for good measure. Their faces were sallow, thin, and sunken in. Matted hair hung off their heads like afterthoughts. Rotten, blackening teeth were being bared in their mouths. They looked more like starving, wild animals than actual human-beings. It was horrible.

One of them was missing a whole leg, yet it was still crawling toward us with a murderous look in its vacant, red eyes. It let out a low moan, reaching for us with a burned hand. The other was suffering from so many burns, it could hardly walk because of the pain. Its face was scrunched up in agony, but it kept struggling to walk toward Taj and I.

Taj grimaced as he took out a pistol and aimed it at the burned thing; it was the closest to us. He hesitated for a split second before pulling the trigger. The anemic creature was shot in the head. It slumped to the ground, dead. Giving a shaky sigh, Taj shot the other creature in the same fashion.

"We need to get out of here," Taj said, closing his eyes. He looked like he was going to be sick. I had to keep him upright, or I think he would have collapsed.

I said nothing. My fear and shock had seized every muscle in my body. It was like I was turned off or something. All I could do was stare at all the dead, blown up bodies with wide eyes and an open mouth. It was like my brain couldn't compute anything else.

"Hey! Listen, please!" Taj had to yell at me as he violently shook my shoulder. "We really need to go, Danny!"

"W-why?" I asked, finally pulled out of my shock. Blinking in surprise, I turned my gaze to Taj. His lips were flattened into a thin frown, but the terror in his eyes betrayed his look of sturdy command.

"They...um, they're cannibals," Taj told me. He kept himself calm so that I wouldn't freak out. I knew he was trying to keep me in his best interests, but there's no good way to deliver that kind of news. Watching me balk in horror, Taj was quick to say, "That's why we need to start moving. These guys can smell blood miles away. If we don't get out of here fast, we're going to be in loads of trouble. So we have to go! Please! Please, now!"

"Okay. Okay," I said breathlessly. All of this was hard to take in, but I knew if I didn't snap back into go mode soon I wouldn't survive in this world for very long. "Where to?" I asked.

Taj's countenance exploded with relief when he heard those words from me. He almost let out a giant sigh, but he kept it in somehow so he could tell me in a hurry, "We need to fly out of here. Can you do that? Just blast out of here? Maybe we could use a tree to hide out for a few hours. Yeah. That sounds good."

"Hang on," I ordered him, tightening my grip on his arm. Pushing off the ground, I hovered in the air while looking around in the darkness for a direction I wanted to fly. Under other circumstances, I would have relished the feeling of flying again. But not that night. Not in that world. There was no enjoyment in that warped universe.

"If it's speed you want, I can definitely do that," I told Taj. Glancing down at him, I asked, "Ready?"

"Mmmhmm," Taj humbly replied with a stiff nod. He clung onto my arm as if he wanted to cut off my circulation in that limb. He was staring at the receding ground as if he wasn't going to see it again and was mentally saying his goodbyes. He swallowed.

"Are you scared to fly, Taj?" I asked, eyebrows rising in wonder.

"It's a necessary evil," the teen responded quietly.

"Better if you close your eyes then, dude," I said with a shake of my head. Who was scared of flying? "I don't want you barfing on me. That's the last thing we need."

"Duly noted."

"You good now?"

"Please go before I think myself out this. Thank you."

Shrugging, I turned intangible, spun myself in the direction I wanted to go, and then blasted into the darkness without another thought. Taj jumped at the initial take off, but I think my advice helped him. At least he wasn't screaming like a little girl. Although he hadn't done that yet, I wouldn't put it past Taj. He was a nice guy, but he was someone who was afraid of his own shadow. Poor dude.

After about 15 minutes of straight flying at the fastest speed I could go through the trees and foliage, I was losing energy, and Taj was nearing the threshold of vomiting. The shadows of the trees stopped being a dark blur as I slowed my speed. I was about to place Taj on the ground and let him go, but he quickly blurted out, "No! Please, don't let me go! Go up! We'll hide out in the trees. That's best."

"Alright," I said, nodding in agreement to this plan as I started to go up. Phasing through large tree limbs and searching for the right spot for both of us to rest, I asked, "Can those things climb?"

"Yes," Taj said. "But they rarely find anything in the trees to eat, so they don't hunt up here. We're safe as long as they don't smell or spot us. I don't think that will happen unless we stay for more than a few hours."

"This place looks good," I said, gently letting Taj down on the protruding branch. The branch was thick and wide, making it less likely that one of us would fall off if we happened to slip. It was even curved in near the trunk, making a kind of bowl for us to sit in.

Wetting his lips in nervousness, Taj gradually allowed his full weight to ease onto the branch. Even then, it took him a few seconds to get the guts to let go of me. It then took every ounce of determination for the teenager to get to that bowl and settle himself in with a short sigh.

When I let myself stand on the branch so as to give my powers a rest, I was surprised when Taj motioned for me to sit next to him. When he saw my less than enthused expression, he explained himself.

"I have to tell you something important, Danny," he said wearily. His honey-colored eyes shifted around before they found my gaze. "It's about getting back to the other world. You won't be able to go back without me. If I leave, you can only come with me if we're making physical contact."

"How do you go back then?" I asked. A frown naturally made it to my face as I wrapped my arms around my stomach. I felt rather vulnerable at the second.

"I don't have control over that," Taj answered reluctantly. "I'm just taken away at any time. I could be here for a few more minutes to a year. The stint of time varies. And I get no warning when I switch back and forth between the worlds. So it's better if we stick together. Okay? I'm sorry."

"It's fine," I lied, walking forward on the branch. While I got cozy beside my new, odd friend, I couldn't help but worry about my future. What if we were stuck here for a year? I just couldn't fathom the idea. It was too terrible. And it made me sick.

Taj seemed to read my mind. "We probably won't be here very long," he said in a whisper. He had pulled his knees up close to his chest so they rested under his chin. Staring out into the dark, silent jungle, he assured me, "That only happened once. Usually my trips are from a few hours to a few days." He gently fidgeted with his sneakers as he added with a faint smile, "Besides, with you around with your powers, I think we'll be okay this go around. We'll survive. I know we will."

"If I'm not touching you when you up and vanish back to the real world, what happens to me?" I had to ask. "I mean, do I vanish too? Do I stay here? Is there other ways out of this place?"

"There...there are gateways," Taj said. He glanced at me before fiercely staring ahead. He didn't like talking about this stuff, but I guess he felt obligated because he wanted my safety. "Gateways are hard to find, but they're here. Once you go through one, you can't use it again. They are only to be used in a worse case scenario. I-I mean, if you're stuck here without me, you should find one and use it because you'll never get back without me here. Just...I'm just saying that they're hard to find."

"But at least they're there," I said after a long pause for thought. Taj grunted in response. Trying to cheer him up a little, I rephrased the sentence, saying without much conviction, "I mean, at least there's hope out of this place. You know?"

Taj glared forward, silent and brooding. It was as if he hadn't heard me at all. I studied him for a full minute before he mumbled, "When we go back to the real world, you'll be done with this place. You won't have to ever come back. I don't have a choice, Danny. I'll always have to come back. So it doesn't matter if there's a gateway or not for me. They mean nothing to me if I always have to come back."

Listening to Taj's words made me grit my teeth in sympathy. Putting myself into his shoes almost made me panic again. If I had to return to this place all the time, I surely would have at some point snapped and gone insane. It was a miracle Taj was holding out this long. How on earth had he been able to survive for so long? How come he wasn't burned out yet? Sure, he was at the end of his rope, but no average person could have held out for as long as he had.

Uncertainly, I lifted my hand and touched Taj's shoulder. I'm not quite sure why I did it. Something inside me compelled me to try and support the poor guy. Despite what I'd heard about him from Toushiro and Vlad, I trusted Taj. He was my friend.

"I'm sorry," was all I could think of to say.

Taj shifted his gaze, settling his eyes on me silently. He watched me for a moment before he finally released a small, timid smile and whispered a thanks.

The jungle plunged back into a haunting silence as we broke eye contact and stared ahead to delve into our own thoughts. I tried to work things out but without having to delve up any scary, horrible memories. It wasn't working. My avoidance was hindering my thinking process. Finally, I gave up on making things make sense and settled on trying to think of nothing. If Taj wasn't in the mood to talk, I thought it best to respect his privacy.

Thankfully, Taj wasn't prepared to go silent all night. He had used a few minutes to gather his own thoughts before spewing exactly what was on his mind.

"Danny. Danny _Phantom_," Taj sighed suddenly, making me jump in surprise. He didn't notice my reaction because he was massaging his temples with a small, bitter laugh. "How come I didn't get that when you first mentioned your name? It was so obvious, you being with Vlad Masters on that plane. He's the mayor of the town you protect as a superhero. I must be losing it."

"Plane? Plane!" I exclaimed in sudden realization. "You were that kid on the plane ride here! The one who pickpocketed me!"

Taj flinched at the mention of this. He looked at me contritely, saying, "Yeah. That was me. I'm sorry about that. I assumed you were some rich kid working with Masters. I didn't think you'd need the money. Please, believe me when I say that I don't usually do that. I hadn't eaten in days. I had no other way to get money. I had spent it all on that plane ticket."

"Hey, you're okay," I assured Taj. "I didn't need that money. It was just odd. You're good at that pickpocket thing."

"Not really," Taj confessed. "If I was good at it, you wouldn't know it was me who did it."

"Oh. I guess so," I said. I thought about what he had said before asking curiously, "How do you know about Vlad Masters?"

"Masters?" Taj said, glancing at me again. He seemed to be reviewing what he wanted to tell me and what he would keep secret before he said resentfully, "That man has been after me since the beginning. He wants me for god knows what purpose. Personally, I believe he's a bored rich man with too much curiosity for his own good. But I guess I can't judge him. I've never even talked to the guy."

"Um...about Vlad Masters," I said indecisively. When Taj snapped his head to look at me, I bit my lip with doubt. Would it be right of me to spill the beans about Vlad to Taj? Could I really trust him? Or was I getting conned again? I couldn't make sense of things.

"Why were you with Masters on that plane, anyways?" Taj asked with a lone raise of his eyebrow. He was trying not to show it, but I could tell he was very interested in my answer.

"You're going to think I'm crazy if I told you," I mumbled, looking away.

Taj took time to ponder this before he came back, saying, "Danny, my body is a gateway into this nightmarish land we're in right now. Even _I_ think I'm crazy at times. Of all the the people in the world to tell something crazy to, it's me. I'll probably believe you too. Then the both of us can be crazy together." When I didn't say anything, Taj crept a smile to his face as he said lightly, "I was joking. It's okay. It wasn't really funny anyways."

This made me grin. Even in a place like this and living a life from hell, Taj still found the time to crack a joke here and there. It told me he wasn't too far gone. That was good enough for me to open up to him.

So, with a heavy sigh, I told my story. It was like my mouth was a dump truck unloading my thoughts for Taj. The guy was a good listener. He nodded in the right places when he understood, and he stayed quiet during my whole tale except to ask a few questions for clarity. I didn't go into much detail. I just highlighted key events, starting back from last summer when I was kidnapped to Japan then stopping at the present. I even told Taj about Vlad's ghost powers. I hadn't told anyone that since maybe Jazz. It was a nice burden to get off my chest. It was nice just to talk to someone my own age. All in all, I think I needed someone who knew my story. It's almost therapeutic in a way.

When I was done, Taj didn't look at me any differently. He might have held more understanding toward me, but it wasn't like he changed his attitude to please me more because he knew I was a superhero or thought less of me because it was clear my situation wasn't as tough as his.

"So that man on the walkie-talkie," he said slowly as his mind began to piece things together, "That was Vlad Masters? Who is _also_ Vlad Plasmius?"

"Yep."

"But he was after _you_ at the time?"

"Yeah."

"And now he knows you're with _me_...who he might want more than _you_?"

"Exactly."

Taj suddenly slumped back against the tree, tired and flabbergasted about the whole predicament. He looked like a little kid who had spent too much time on a math problem and had worn his brain out way before snack time. The look on his face said it all. His mouth was shaped into a small O, and his forehead and eyebrows were crinkled in the confusion he was fighting to clear away.

"Why were you out there in the middle of Ecuador in the first place?" I finally asked him. It was a question that had been nagging me from the very beginning. "You said you were looking for someone. Who are you looking for?"

This snapped Taj out of his hapless pondering. He shook his head to clear it before glancing up at me in surprise. Chewing on the inside of his cheek, he studied me for about half a minute with his eyes narrowed in contemplation. I waited for an answer of any kind with a calm expression. He had given me time to explain myself. I was willing to do the same for his case.

That's one thing I liked about Taj. He thought a lot before he said anything. Rushing into things wasn't his gig. I'm sure if he could, he'd sit there and think all day. He did it so well, too. It had gotten him this far, anyways.

In the end, Taj told me, "I'll tell you everything if you help me."

"Help you?" I asked, perking up in curiosity. That's what happens when you're a superhero. The second someone asks for help, I'm all ears. "Help you do what?"

"There's someone in that jungle somewhere who might be able to help me with my problem."

"Your problem of randomly jumping to this world?" I asked. I needed to be clear. I didn't know all the problems Taj had which he was keeping hidden from me. I hoped this was the one he was talking about.

Nodding, Taj continued, "Yeah. It's only getting worse. But I heard that this woman I'm searching for could help me control it or at least tell me what's going to happen to me. You probably think I'm stupid for risking so much in coming here, making myself open to Mr. Masters and a bunch of others who want the price on my head, but I need help. I can't stand it anymore. I...I just want to be free. I can't do that with this...this curse!"

Grimacing because of his small flash of anger, Taj lowered his knees and sat cross-legged. He reluctantly glanced at me as he said with raw honestly, "I feel like one of these days I'm just going to snap; I'll just totally lose it. And if that doesn't happen soon, I'll get killed or captured by a bounty hunter. Or-or maybe one of these humans from here will finally get a good bite out of me and make me into a snack. However you want to put it, I'm not going to last much longer if I don't find some kind of control. I've been all around the world. I've tried everything. This woman is one of my last resorts.

"Yeah," I drawled. "I totally get what you're saying. I'd have gone insane by now if I had to keep returning to this place and was always on the run. It's beyond creepy."

Taj said nothing. A smile twitched briefly on his lips before he shrugged and stared out into the darkness. He was preparing himself for my answer. While I could see that he desperately wanted my assistance by the way he fidgeted with the ends of his pant legs, he wasn't going to beg. He knew that I knew the risks involved. He would understand if I flat out said no and went my own way. So he was trying to gear himself toward accepting disappointment. He probably thought I'd refuse. Any sane person would have.

It was strange. Not for a single second did I think about saying no. My mind didn't stop to think of a good excuse to get out of it. The danger and fear didn't clog my head or emotions. If anything, my head was more clear than it had ever been since I arrived at Vlad's front door step a few days ago.

All I saw was a friend in dire need. It was like my superhero mode instantly turned on the moment he asked for help. I knew the right answer, and my morals and wants snapped into the same line.

The feeling was such a strong contrast to what I'd been struggling with when I was with Vlad. I had debated for days about whether to try and leave, stay and try to work things out, or stay with an attitude of defeat. Not with Taj. I knew exactly what I needed to do.

It was one of the best feelings I'd received in days.

Of course, I knew what I was in for. I knew there was a possibility I would never make it home if I agreed to help Taj. I could get really hurt. Heck, I could die! Others could die as well. Nevertheless, Taj's life was hell, he couldn't control his powers, and he was close to death. If he didn't get the help he needed, not only could he die, but the ones around him could get killed by accident because of such a dangerous power he possessed.

I wasn't going to delude myself into thinking everything was going to be fine and dandy when this was all over. That would be stupid. Crap was going to happen if I liked it or not. But with a bravery I was proud to own, I stared reality straight in the face and chose to do the right thing despite all the consequences.

I was the only one who could help Taj. I'd never live with myself if I didn't at least try.

"I'll help you, Taj."

A/N: Next chapter: Taj's past. It's a sad one, so be prepared to bring tissues. Also, we have action on the way, more from the mysterious man Diego, and later the return of Vlad! I'm so excited to write it all! I'm such a dork about it.

As a reminder, I'm more free this week so I'll be answering reviews. So if you have a question, don't be afraid to ask it. I'll try to answer as much as I can, but I won't give away spoilers or hints.

I'll catch you guys next weekend!


	16. Chapter 16 Taj's Past

A/N: Whew! Another long chapter. Taj's past took awhile, and then I decided to add in a description of his powers and how they kinda work because I don't think I gave you readers enough of it last chapter. Anyways, I enjoyed answering your reviews last week! If I get time to this week, I want to answer 'em again. Thanks for reading! Enjoy the chapter!

UPDATED July 31st 2010: I changed Taj's past from narration to dialogue and Julie's character. That's why this chapter is very long now. Everything else is the same, though.

Disclaimer: I don't own any Danny Phantom characters.

Chapter 16 Taj's Past

Taj started his life story with a sigh. His eyes lowered as he took the time to gather his words and sort through his emotions. Finally, he said as if in defeat, "My dad died before I was born." A pause followed as I looked up at my friend and found him shaking his head in sad frustration. Silently, I waited for more.

"When I was born, it was just my mom, sister, and me," he said, recovering his words. "We were a broken family from the start, but I don't remember it being so hard on me and my sister, Niobe. Now that I'm older and think back to it, though, I can tell that it was tough on my mom. She had just lost her husband, and I wasn't a normal baby. With this kind a birthmark, most people thought I was some spawn from hell." He pointed to his red tattoo as he said this before closing his eyes to focus himself again.

"My sister and I were like best friends," Taj said softly with a tragic smile. The memory of her triggered some kind of happiness in the teen, because he was soon grinning as he said wistfully, "We'd play all day and night. We didn't need toys to have fun. Our imaginations were the best tools we had. Some days we were pirates; on other days we were superheroes, astronauts, or bank robbers, or anything or anybody that met our fancy. It didn't matter where we lived or how much we were suffering financially. Niobe and I were happy playing out our imaginations. We could have been twins the way we thought alike. She and I were inseparable." His smile wavered before vanishing completely. "I miss her," he whispered.

Sniffing, Taj continued by saying, "My first trip here was only a flash when I was 5. I didn't think it was real. I thought it was only part of my imagination. But eventually the flashes got longer and more frequent. I think I spent my first full minute here when I was around 10. That's when I found out about the other inhabitants here; the ones we unfortunately bumped into back there.

"That's when I told my mom about what was going on. She believed me for some reason. Maybe it was because of the odd birthmark. Maybe it was for some other reason. I don't know. All I know is that she believed me and she did all that she could to help me. First it was doctors. When they didn't know what was going on with me, she moved onto hag witches, fake fortune tellers, voodoo masters, and crazy witch doctors. I didn't like any of them. They didn't know what was happening to me and just ate up my mom's well earned money. It was just one disappoint after another for the family."

That's when Taj had to take another pause. He deftly kept in his tears as he said in a strained voice, "Sometimes I wish I hadn't told her or that she didn't believe me. God bless my mom, though. She was the strongest and sweetest person I've ever known. She was my rock. She was my role model. She was like my sister's and mine's favorite superhero. My mom did _everything_ in her power to help me. Everything."

Swallowing, Taj paused to prepare words for what came next. Instead, his emotions took over. Tears streamed down his face as he said weakly, "Things wouldn't have gone so down hill if it wasn't for that day." He paused, closing his eyes before saying, "One day, I accidentally brought Niobe to this world. When I came back to reality...s-she hadn't been touching me. I didn't know. I didn't know anything back then. I-I left her here, Danny. I left her in this wicked nightmare world without even a chance to say goodbye. I just...just left her."

"What happened to her?" I asked in horror.

"She was only 12," Taj answered with a sad shake of his head, "She didn't have a chance of surviving here all alone. And I never saw her again. I searched, though. I searched for so long." He suppressed a sob, saying, "Sometimes I still look for her."

I was rendered speechless. All I could do was stare at Taj, wondering how he got this far with a horrible past as it already was. And I knew it would only get worse as he tried drying his tears and plough on ahead with his story.

"Needless to say, my mother was devastated," he said with a grieving sigh. "Like me, she was never the same after that day. While she doubled her efforts to find me help or a cure...she...uh...she never touched me again. I understand she was scared that she too would end up like Niobe, but it was hard for me. She didn't even kiss me on the forehead like she always did or...or brush the hair out of my eyes. She would panic and scold me if our arms touched when we passed each other in the hallway.

"That's when I first realized the state my mom's head was in and where it might be going. She had already lost her husband. Then she lost her daughter because of me. She was probably terrified that either me or herself was next to go. It made her paranoid.

"Then the nightmares set in. Every night she would be tormented by them. And she didn't like me waking her up because that would mean touching her. So she'd scream all night and toss and turn, and I couldn't do anything about it. She started to stay awake for days at a time. I don't care who you are, Danny, losing that much sleep messes with someone's mind. It only made my mom's condition worse."

Taj grimaced as some awful memory resurfaced. He leaned forward and rested his forehead against his palm. Fighting against emotions, he said, "When the spirits started to attack us, I knew she wouldn't last long. First they just pestered us by showing up randomly and scaring us. Eventually, though, they began to physically hurt us. Well, not me, really. They didn't dare touch me. But it didn't matter. The only reason why they hurt my mom at all was because of me and my power.

"Slowly, my mom fell apart. I had to watch her; each day seeing her get worse and worse. And I couldn't comfort her. I couldn't fix anything. _I_ was the problem.

"When someone loses that much touch with reality, Danny, they turn into someone different. I don't know how to describe it. But I...I wanted and needed to help her. Please believe me when I say that it was the only thing I could think of. I didn't know what else to do. I just wanted to help." He fell silent, new tears springing to his eyes.

"What did you do?" I asked after a long pause.

Taj swallowed, his voice more steady than I thought it would be as he answered, "I needed her out of my life. It was the only way she could get better. So I sent her to a mental institution. I gathered up all the saved money my mom had collected over the years, tricked her into driving to a good mental hospital, and checked her in.

"I was 12," he said with a shuddering sigh. "I've never seen her since."

"But...you were 12!" I protested. "How did you-?"

"I had my ways with my mom," Taj muttered, looking guiltily away from me. "She's okay, though. They take good care of her there. She stopped having nightmares a year ago. The paranoia and hallucinations are still there, but they aren't so frequent. I have to believe what I did was the right thing."

"But then what happened to you?" I asked curiously. "You couldn't take care of yourself at that age. Did you get into foster care?"

A bitter laugh escaped Taj as he shook his head. "No," he said resentfully. "Foster care would have been nice, but it wasn't like that. You see, by then people knew about me and my abilities. And those people didn't have good intentions for me. The ones that got to me first was a group of illegal scientists with their own testing lab. I was kidnapped the day I gave my mom up to the mental institution."

"Wait. They couldn't just do that!" I said. I guess I didn't want to believe it could happen. I didn't want to believe there were such wicked people out there besides Vlad and a few ghosts. It made me angry just thinking about it.

"It wasn't so bad, actually," Taj said. He tried to calm me down with an uncomfortable but assuring smile. "I didn't have to worry about my mom. I was fed 3 meals a day and had a bed in my own cell. They didn't even do very many experiments on me. Mostly they just watched me all day and took notes whenever I transported to the nightmare world. They asked a lot of questions too. It wasn't like they abused me, though. It could have been worse. If anything, it taught me a lot about my powers. It was a stable environment that allowed me to explore my powers...especially when I started to spend months at a time in this nightmare world."

"So what did you learn?" I asked. "What's up with this world?"

Taj went on to explain the nightmare world. Once he started to spend more hours in it, he was forced to defend himself by finding shelter and protection. He taught himself how to fight, shoot guns, use a knife, evade, hunt for food, and make his own fire. Every trip was a forced survival experience.

Taj soon realized after months of exploring and traveling the nightmare world that it was very similar to the real one he was from. Geographically, they were identical. Even some climates stayed the same. The animal life didn't have much diversity, but there were no new species. Abandoned cities overgrown and demolished with weeds and decay were in the exact spots they were in the real world. Any old, rotten building left standing held all the same possessions as any real world human would have. That's how Taj got his weapons. It was tricky finding the right places and not arousing nearby red-eyed humans whenever he dared to find new ammo, but most of the time he was successful in his excursions. They were always necessary.

The only differences between the real world and nightmare one were the savage inhabitants and the sky that constantly stayed black with a red moon.

The red-eyed humans of the nightmare world were brutal, vicious beings. Taj described them like starving packs of wolves. They lived only to hunt, kill, eat, and multiply. They had senses like dogs and could track a deer for miles. While most of the time they were untamed beasts, they could think better than any animal, and they had a bloodthirsty drive that pushed them to kill until they were killed themselves. They were beyond dangerous, and Taj said he had to kill most of the ones he has seen so as to ensure his own life.

He says he's never come into contact with a human that was like himself in that world. It was always a lonely experience. At one point of time, he traveled recklessly all throughout the nightmare world in desperate hope to find someone like himself. He never did. Either they had all died out or there had never been a normal human in that world.

Because the beings were starving most of the time, they were always skinny, sick, and disfigured. They couldn't survive long in any place that was too cold, so they stuck more to the south regions around the world and migrated north during the spring and summer months to catch more food there.

While Taj could have easily had traveled to the far north and camp out there without having the fear of the wild humans attacking him, he had problems with this because of how his power worked. You see, his location in the nightmare world always depended on where he was in the real world. If Taj was in the United States in the real world, he would automatically be in the same location when he transported to the nightmare world. But wherever Taj went in the nightmare world, he would always end up back in the same, exact spot he was in when he returned to the real world. Obviously, this bothered Taj. It only made his trips back and forth more difficult because he was stuck in a cell all day in the real world.

One day, Taj found the solution to that problem. While searching for a new knife, he stumbled upon a glowing blue archway in the middle of a house. When he passed through the gateway, he was instantly transported back to the real world, exactly in the same spot as he used to be in the nightmare world. Later, he found more of these types of arches and decided to name them gateways. They were to be used only as last resorts because they vanished as soon as he used them in the nightmare world.

"And that's how I got free," Taj said, smiling a little because it was something that was finally good news. I smiled too. "I was 14, I think. I had lost track of time in that cell and my trips back and forth to the nightmare world," Taj continued. "But I've been avoiding capture ever since. Not only from those scientists, but from others like them. I think even Mr. Masters was on my trail at that point. So I've been on the run. It's not easy at times, but I've trained myself to survive for so long that it's almost basic instinct now. I even created separate fight plans for when I'm in the different worlds."

Since both worlds are such a drastic change, Taj found it easier to form two different types of personalities or kind of mind sets, really, for when he switched back and forth.

When he was in the real world, Taj saw humanity for its good and bad qualities. He liked to look at the good things in life when he was in the real world, so he worked on a personality of kindness, humility, and gentleness like his mother had taught him while growing up. Taj didn't allow himself to become angry or bitter about his power. He knew the only thing he could do to keep himself sane was to keep pushing forward and cling to a hope that one day he might find a solution.

Taj didn't use guns. He never wanted to kill a human from the real world because he felt he shouldn't have the choice over their life or death. He saw the humans in the real world as people with their own minds who could make their own choices, and he respected every choice someone made. Everything in the real world was about smoke and mirrors. It was all about learning how to outsmart the enemy; not hurt them.

In the nightmare world, Taj dumped away those cherished qualities from the real world. He would always adopt a cold, strong, and merciless attitude toward the humans of the nightmare world. From experience, he knew the red-eyed humans were soulless killers. He found little trouble in killing them if he ever got the chance. He would do anything to them to keep himself alive. Since they'd do anything to kill him, he'd be just as desperate to kill them if they attacked him. There was no joy or hope in the nightmare world. Everything was about surviving.

We both fell silent after he had explained all this to me. I had been asking a lot of questions. Taj didn't mind because he was pleased to clarify his freakishly hectic life to me. I think he was just happy to have someone who understood and actually believed him. I knew that feeling. It was a good one.

"So...how have you stayed, like...sane?" I had to ask. Everything Taj had told me was just one heart breaking disaster after another. His life was crap! How had he not offed himself with a life and a future that seemed so bleak?

Taj narrowed his eyes on me. He was thinking again. Finally, he decided on something and said with surprising certainty, "Julie Summers."

"Who's that?"

"A friend," he answered, fiddling with his shoelaces. A knowing grin snuck to my face as he nervously looked about. When he caught my expression, he frowned at me disapprovingly. "It's not like that," he sighed. "I just don't want to...you know...give out her true identity. No offense, but it could be used against me."

"I gotcha, dude," I said with a dismissive wave of my hand. "So how'd you meet her?"

"Um, funny story," he started with a antsy laugh. "She hacked into my computer. With the little knowledge I had on hacking, I tracked her mess back to her computer and...well...gave her a virus to try and destroy everything. You have to understand. I had to make sure she couldn't use anything important from my computer she might have stolen because some of those files were on me and my powers."

I had to laugh. What an odd way to meet someone. Taj found my reaction confusing. He sat there looking worried as I asked, "What did she do?"

"Oh, of course she sent me back a virus. It completely thrashed my computer," he said, sighing. But it wasn't a frustrated sigh. It was more like a reminiscent one. "So I forced her to chat with me online. I thought I could talk some sense into her and maybe get her to get rid of the information she stole from me.

"It ended up that she was really nice underneath her whole hacker facade," Taj continued with a rare, genuine smile. "I mean, after we stopped arguing, we found out that we had a lot in common. We're both Elvis fans, for one. Stupid interests like that is what first brought us together. But the more we talked and shared our lives with each other, I saw that Julie really did care for me and she wasn't some posing bounty hunter out to get me. So after a year and a half of knowing her, I told her the truth about me."

"How'd she react?" I asked skeptically.

"She believed me."

"Why?"

"Because of the documents she had stolen from my computer," Taj said, smiling sheepishly. "And by then we were good friends. I think she'd believe me even without the documents. She's not like a lot of people I know."

"How so?" I questioned. After such a serious and somber subject we had been on, I really wanted to stay on something that was more happy and uplifting for Taj. He needed something to lighten his mood.

"Well, for one, she bought herself some welding gloves for her class and named the right one Thaddeus and the left one Steven," Taj said, grinning at my baffled reaction. "Julie wants to be a computer engineer so she can make cheap but tough functioning personal computers for third world countries. It's not a common major, especially for a girl, I guess, but what's even more rare is her compassion for less fortunate people. She's all quirky about it, though. Especially with her love for hacking and virus making. She's not so great at hacking, though. She leaves a great mess behind wherever she goes. It's the virus making that she excels at."

I said nothing. I just stared at Taj with a disconcerted expression stuck to my face. This chick sounded really whacky. Enlightenment came a second later. It hit me that sure, she was odd, but so was Taj. The two belonged together. What better person did Taj need than someone who was just as strange and offbeat as himself?

"She sounds like a strange one," I said finally. I didn't know what else to say about Julie.

Taj chuckled. "Yeah," he agreed. "She is." He looked over to me, subduing his good spirits as he said, "I'm lucky to have met her. She's a good motivator. She's the one who got me into looking for people with powers, which ultimately led me here."

"Why would you look for people with powers?" I asked. I'd had a conversation very similar to this one with Vlad at some point last year. I hoped it didn't turn out as creepy as that one.

"Julie and I believed that perhaps these people could give me some kind of insight with my powers or give me hints on how I can control them," Taj said with a shrug. "It didn't work out so well. I had to travel the world to find these people, and that made me an easy target for bounty hunters. There were a lot of close calls. Especially that time in Japan. That was bad."

"You were in Japan?" I said in surprise. "Why?"

"It was because of you, actually," Taj said. "When Julie and I were discussing you as my next visit, we got into an argument. I didn't want to try and find you because you were a superhero for the town Mr. Masters was mayor for. It was too risky with that man so close. She insisted it would be worth it, though. So we decided to research you more. We stumbled over a Japanese article where you battled a golem. This golem caught our interest. Apparently, it can take away someone's powers. Although it sounded too good to be true for me, I'd rather go for that than for you."

"You do know I helped defeat the golem while there, right?" I said.

"Not at the time. No," Taj muttered, glaring at the ground. "What I found was nothing. The newspapers might have reported you fighting a golem in the middle of the city, but the media had never caught wind of its destruction.

"Unfortunately, I had been tracked there by some bounty hunters.

"Understand, by the time I arrived in Tokyo, I had caused a few...accidents. Bad accidents. A lot of people have died because of my powers. They were mistakes, but I now have a reputation of someone who is dangerous. I _am_ dangerous. Different militaries want my head to keep the public safe, scientists who are working off the record want me for my odd power, and bounty hunters want me simply for the money.

"Some of these bounty hunters don't care about my life and can strike with lethality. The ones who had tracked me to Tokyo were that kind. When they found out I was searching for the golem, they set a trap for me. They got me to come to the docks one night where they had set up a few small land minds in a controlled area. But it was also a night were a shipment of drugs were coming in for some dealers. They were part of the Izumi family or group or something like that. I didn't know about this until I read the paper the next day.

"Everyone was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Some of Izumi's men set off the land mines just as I was getting there. I guess they got scared or something, so these Izumi men open fired on the bounty hunters. Just like that, I found myself in the middle of a crossfire.

"Before anyone could capture me, though, I jumped worlds before everyone's eyes. It was a disaster. The bounty hunters that weren't killed left empty handed, I suppose. Those Izumi men were scared out of their wits, I'm sure. They think I started the whole thing!" Taj said with a sick, guilty look on his face. Calming down, he said worriedly, "I think they sent someone after me."

"Oh, man," I chuckled nervously. "Funny coincidence, there, Taj." The teen blanched in fear, expecting the worst from me. "Remember that drug dealer's daughter I told you about when Vlad dragged me off to Japan last summer?" He nodded. "Yeah, well, her father is Mr. Izumi," I said. Before he could react, I swiftly added, "Oh, it gets better. I know the man who they sent after you. He's Ran's uncle. He's staying at Vlad's uncle's ranch house which I just escaped from, and he's probably looking for you right now."

"Are you serious?" Taj whispered in horrified disbelief.

"Um...yeah," I reluctantly answered. This poor kid just kept getting one thing of bad news after another. Hopefully, he could handle it all.

Taj gave a short groan, closing his eyes as he held his head in a hand in dismay. He stayed that way for a full minute before finally taking a deep, soothing breath and letting it slowly out. "That's okay," he said, opening his eyes to look at me. "This isn't the first time more than one team of bounty hunters have been after me. I just have to be more careful."

"We," I corrected him. "_We_ have to be more careful."

Taj gave me an odd look when I said this. It was almost as if he didn't believe I had said that or he couldn't figure out if I was being truthful or not. His expression finally settled with a timid smile of gratitude.

"This might not be a bad thing," I told him. "I know the guy Toushiro. He's cool. If I can just talk to him for two seconds about you and explain things, he might help us. He's someone you really want on your side. He can surprisingly hold his own in a ghost fight."

"You sure?" Taj asked, raising a skeptic eyebrow. He didn't trust Toushiro. It was understandable, though. He didn't know the man except for the fact that Toushiro right now wanted him dead.

"Toushiro trusts me," was all I could truthfully say. Trying to get us back on subject, I asked, "After you went to Japan, what happened?"

"Oh, I laid low for two months," Taj answered, quickly jumping back into the story. He didn't want to think about Toushiro at the moment. "The next person with powers on the list was this woman in the jungles of Ecuador who could see into the future. Obviously, she's why I'm currently here."

"I've heard of her," I muttered. She was the lady who had predicted Vlad would become mayor and one day rule the world. Frowning, I pushed those thoughts out of my head. It wasn't healthy for me to think about that. When Taj didn't continue, I looked up at him and urged, "Keep going. How is this women going to help you?"

"Julie said that knowing my future could help me in my mission for help or a cure. For example, the woman could tell me where I would find a cure from seeing me get the cure in the future. Something like that. Julie said it was worth a shot," Taj explained. He paused, rubbing his shoulder as he said more seriously, "It's more than that, though. This is one of my last resorts. I already have Mr. Masters on my tail. Now there's this Toushiro person. Who knows what other groups have caught wind I'm here! I'm afraid I might not make it back to the States at this rate.

"I mean, I don't even know where I'm really going," Taj ranted on. "I got lost and was backtracking when I bumped into you. I have something of a map back in the real world, but I don't have a specific location where this soothsayer is. I just...really, really need some help finding her."

"And I'll be that help you need, Taj," I promised. Putting a hand on his shoulder, I told him, "As a superhero, it's like my job to help you. Even if I can't go ghost in the real world, I'm practically the only one who can do this. I know Vlad. I also know Toushiro. Stick with me in the real world; I'll get you to this fortune teller and back to the States. You got that?"

Maybe it was my words, or maybe it was my over confidence. Whatever it was, it hit a nerve with Taj. Tears welled up in his eyes in deep appreciation. Keeping the smile on my face, I hoped he wouldn't cry again. It would make it too awkward between us. Thankfully, Taj swallowed the emotion away. A shy smile fluttered to his face as he thanked me.

When Taj was finally done with telling his life story, he was exhausted, physically and emotionally. Like me, he wasn't used to telling people the truth about himself. Getting it out and having to mentally review each painful memory wears down your spirit. That's exactly what happened to Taj.

I let Taj pass out beside me for a few hours after promising to keep a good look out and not falling asleep myself. The poor teen needed the nap more than I thought. He probably had gone for a few days without a single hour to close his eyes and rest his mind. While it was creepy being the only one awake in that world, I was glad I could help my friend out.

Letting Taj's head lean against my shoulder, I prepared myself for a long period to think things though and sort my brain and feelings out. I had to work through all the unpleasant memories from the past few days with Vlad. Just remembering what he had done to me made my chest swell and my throat clog with emotion.

Gritting my teeth, I pushed hot tears out of my eyes with the palm of my hand. While I hated crying, I knew it was a good way to get my emotions out. The sooner I got that over with, the sooner I could place the emotions aside and think clearly.

What I really needed was a plan.

Sitting there in a silent darkness for five hours was exactly what I wanted once I got my brain working. It had been about a year since my trip to Japan with Vlad. There, he had forced me to think more than just a step ahead. It had almost been like a lesson he wanted to teach me. Deep down, I was thankful for the training. It was surely needed.

I'd been required to play Vlad's game of chess back then. While I hated to willingly jump in on the match at the last minute here in Ecuador, I saw that it was something that had to be done. When Vlad was in your life, your existence is like a game piece. To avoid having him make all your moves for you, you have to learn how to become your own player and challenge the man at his own game. That's exactly what I planned on doing. It didn't matter if I won or lost; I had to get myself in the game.

Using the same techniques I'd learned from my trip to Japan and a few I'd learned here, I roughly outlined a plan for myself to follow. I tried looking a few steps forward into the future, but I also kept in mind Vlad's personality. I had to know how he'd react to things I'd do or say.

My only problem or hiccup in my plan was the fact that I didn't know exactly what Vlad wanted to do with Taj if he ever got his hands on him. Of course, I knew whatever the wicked man had in mind wouldn't be nice, but I didn't know anything specific. There was a chance that he could get very selfish and desperate. How would that effect our relationship if I came between him and Taj? Would he kill me? Could Vlad ever kill me? How important was I to him? Was I more important than Taj Nice? Was there a way for me to find out before it was too late?

Even with the few murky parts of my planning, I still felt like I did a good job thinking everything through. I even went through escape scenarios in my head if I ever got caught. I had to prepare myself to get desperate and violent. To win against Vlad, I didn't exactly need to be stronger than him. I needed to be like Taj and outsmart the man.

I was suddenly pulled out my pondering when Taj stirred beside me. He looked so harmless leaning against my shoulder. It was kinda funny.

The funniness vanished the second Taj's eyes flashed open. Second later, I found myself pinned against the tree trunk with a knife firmly pressed at my throat. Taj had moved so fast, I didn't even get time to gasp.

"'Morning, sunshine," I chuckled nervously into Taj's intense face.

"Oh, it's you," Taj muttered, blinking in surprise. His ferocity evaporated in the form an explosive sigh. Then he realized that he still had his stained dagger at my throat and looked like he was going to cry in disappointment with himself.

"I'm so sorry!" he yelped in regret, quickly sheathing his weapon and getting off me. "I didn't mean to scare you like that, Danny! I'm just not used to having others with me here, and I - oh! Oh no! How long was I out?"

"A few days," I lied with a serious look on my face. Taj's petrified, wide-eyed reaction was priceless, but it also made me feel a little guilty. So I quickly gave a laugh and said teasingly, "No, seriously, dude, you were out for only a few hours. You okay?"

"Who on earth taught you that horrible joke?" Taj asked me, collapsing against the tree trunk in a rush of relief. He closed his eyes, smiling a little as he grumbled in mock bitterness, "I can't believe I believed you. That's clear proof that I'm losing it."

"I'm sorry," I said, unsuccessfully keeping down a chuckle. "It was just too good to turn down." Taj shot me a false glare but remained silent. It was obvious he didn't appreciate the humor like I did, but he was being a good sport. Scratching the back of my neck with a clear of my throat, I asked him in hope of changing the subject, "How was your nap?"

"I haven't slept like that in months," Taj said, releasing a smile of gratitude. "Especially not in this world. Thanks for being lookout, Danny."

"No problem." I shrugged.

Yawning like a lazy cat, Taj stretched his tired limbs before getting to his feet. He offered a hand to me, saying, "Let's find something to eat before we search for another place to hide out. There has to be some kind of rat on ground level we can kill. A fire will attract those humans, but we'll need one to cook the meat."

"Hey, you're the expert. In this world, I'll probably do anything you say," I said, reaching up to grab his helping hand.

The transportation was instant. There was a bright flash; probably because I was turning back into a human. It was the only notice before our roles were reversed. I was suddenly helping Taj to his feet on a normal jungle floor in the same position we were in when we first jumped to the other world. From the way the sunlight was filtering through the jungle canopy, it seemed like a single hour hadn't passed since we had teleported.

It was all very disorienting on my part. For Taj, it was old and merely bothersome. Wincing because his knee was bleeding from his stumble on the rocks, Taj looked around the jungle to catch his bearings. Frowning in confusion, I did the same.

"No offense, but your power sucks," I complained. He opened his mouth, but I already knew what he was going to say. Before he could apologize, I told him, "Don't say you're sorry. Fact is fact."

Taj glanced over at me, silently debating if he found me funny or obnoxious.

"_Over here!"_

Taj and I reacted like scared rabbits as we jumped in fright and surprise at the distant voice. Second later, we heard people rushing toward us through the jungle. We didn't have to tell each other to run. Taj and I knew it would be a bad idea to let anyone find us.

Sprinting away from the voices following us, I huffed, "What is going on? Who are those people? What time is it?"

"You're the one with the w-watch," Taj said with a defensive look. "If you s-spend a minute in the other world, only a s-second passes here. S-so we probably only vanished for five or s-six minutes."

"Crap!" I shouted. That hadn't been part of the plan. It only made me angry and frustrated as I had to kick start my brain to adjust to a new strategy. "Your power sucks!"

"Yes. We've been through this before."

"I know! But I just want you to know that it's extremely inconvenient."

"Thank you, but I already know that."

"Good!"

"I'm glad we're on the same page, then."

Glancing over my shoulder, I noticed with alarm that Diego's men were getting closer. They were strong, grown men who were probably used to chasing people, and we were just two malnourished teenagers who didn't know where the hell we were going. Of course they were going to catch up to us. It didn't help that Taj was running on a busted knee. The constant grimace on his face told me he was in pain. We wouldn't last much longer at this rate.

I had to do something soon or we both were going to end up captured.

"Here's the plan," I told Taj, grabbing his arm and jerking him off course to evade the men. Taj gave a small yelp, but he stayed with me as he listened while we kept running. "You hide out somewhere here. I'll be a distraction. If I get captured but remain silent about your location, it will buy you a couple hours. I could say that we split up once we hit the jungle back there."

"I...um...I'm sorry, Danny, but I don't like that plan very much," Taj unassumingly disagreed.

"You have any better ideas?" I snapped back. This was no time to argue!

"N-no," he said, flinching at the harsh tone in my voice. "But...you and Vlad...I don't want-."

"Vlad won't do anything to me, especially now that I know where you are," I remarked, cutting him off. "I'll be fine. I promise!"

Taj looked hurt as he shot me a worried glance. "You-you don't have to do this, Danny," he told me. He looked like a sad puppy dog with the amount of concern and sorrow in his honey-colored eyes.

"I know," I sighed as I pulled to a stop. He tried to do the same, tripped, and almost did a face plant if I hadn't caught his arm and brought him back up. He muttered a thanks before quietly panting beside me. We could hear the men behind us getting closer. It put both our nerves on edge.

Grabbing his shoulders, I steered him back into a rather leafy bush where he could easily hide as I said sternly, "I'm doing this anyways. Stay here, keep silent, and don't come out until you know for sure these men are gone. Got that?"

Taj was torn between what he wanted for himself and what he wanted for me. His face clearly showed the distressed expression as he wrestled with himself. I had to offer up a small, pleading smile for him to finally comply. He first gave a trembling nod before he managed to stamper out, "Th-thank you, Danny. B-b-be careful."

"I will," I lied before ordering, "Hang in there, dude."

I didn't wait around to prolong our goodbyes as I spun around on a heel and sprinted away. It didn't matter where I was going now. Diego and his men were going to capture me. I knew this. What mattered was putting as much distance between Taj and me.

Adrenaline propelled me through the jungle at a reckless speed. Rushing past trees, I frantically pushed away stray leaves and thick foliage that always threatened to slow me down. My brain and body were perfectly communicating with each other finally as I zig-zagged my way past trees, leapt over fallen logs, and climbed over boulders. The fear of capture hadn't registered yet. While it was a fact in my head, the consequences hadn't fully been realized. Without such fear clogging up my brain, it had plenty of room to function properly.

Even with at my speed at maximum, I wasn't a match for Diego's men. In about five minutes they were already on me. Only out of sheer desperation did I managed to dodge their reaching arms and dives for me. In due time, though, I knew my luck was going to run out.

After a few minutes of this, I was getting worn out. Fatigue slowed me down and made me sloppy. My lungs felt like they were ready-to-burst balloons, my overworked heart hammered painfully against my chest, and sweat and dirt was like a sticky layer on my skin. Still, I pushed myself forward until it dawned on me what was going on. Diego's men weren't trying to catch me exactly; they were just trying to wear me out to the point that I wouldn't be able to put up a fight even if I wanted to.

Panting like a dying bull in the ring, I resigned on the game of chase, slowing to a stop. As I placed my hands on my knees and looked around, I saw that in no time I was surrounded by Diego's four men and himself. They were all sweating, but they were no where near as tired as me. These men were all in great shape. It was probably the heat that was making them sweat; not the exercise.

"Where's the other boy?" Diego asked, voice calm but stern.

A glare was all he got out of me.

The man waited patiently for my answer while fiercely chewing his gum and putting his hands on his hips. When all he got was silence, he decided he didn't have time for my actions. Making a twirling motion with his forefinger, he ordered his men, "Round him up."

The four men acted as one. They pounced on me before the sentence was finished. Before I knew it, four sets of big, strong hands were on me and forcing me to my knees with my hands placed on top my head. Someone snatched my backpack and ripped it off my shoulders. I tried to resist, but it was no use. It was four against one. They also didn't like my squirming and tightened their holds with every wiggle I gave until the point that it was actually painful. Finally, I had to give up and obediently kneel there like a resentful fugitive.

My backpack was thrown to Diego, who swiftly caught it with one hand. Unceremoniously, he unzipped it and dumped its contents to the jungle floor. He crouched down on his haunches to riffle through my stuff. He ignored the flashlight, food, clothes, bug spray, and money; raised an eyebrow at the dinner knife; frowned while flipping through the watch manual; and nodded as he held up the spare necklace.

Done with my backpack, Diego moved onto me. He thoroughly searched through my pockets and patted me down, finding an extra wad of cash and Vlad's pistol. Surprise forced its way to his face when he first felt the gun there. It was hard to miss the expression since his face was about an inch away from mine.

"What were you planning to do with this?" Diego addressed me, holding up Vlad's gun for me to see. As he dismantled the weapon and checked the magazine of bullets, I answered.

"Protection," I muttered.

Diego looked at me long and hard before stating, "You did not fire this weapon."

"I know," I retorted, almost offended. He said that as if I was stupid. "I don't have to shoot somebody to make them back off with that thing, you know."

The man sighed as he stood back up and took out his walkie talkie. His dark eyes closely watched me as he spoke into the device to Vlad, saying unemotionally, "We have Danny, señor. The other boy got away."

A pause. "Danny knows where he is. Ask him," Vlad ordered.

"Where is the other boy, Danny?" Diego asked me again. I stubbornly shook my head. "Does that mean you won't tell me or that you don't know where he is?"

"Pick one," I spat back.

"Calm down," he quickly commanded me with an even-tempered forcefulness that almost made me obey. Taken aback, I closed my mouth and listened as he told Vlad, "He won't cooperate."

"That's no surprise," Vlad sighed, only slightly frustrated. There was a pause as he thought before he said, "Bring Danny back to the house. Keep half your men there and keep searching for the other boy. I'll get the information out of Danny back here, then we'll go after Nice if we don't hear from your men first. Understand?"

"Of course, señor," Diego said before putting the communicator back in his belt. In Spanish, he shot rapid orders to his men while pointing around the jungle. As the men hauled me to my feet and dragged me away, Diego collected my stuff and put it back in my backpack before following us.

The trek back to the road was uneventful. There was no way I was going to be able to squirm my way out of four sets of arms and then outrun them. Escape - if it ever came - would have to come later.

The old truck and the grandpa driver were gone when we finally broke out of the jungle and arrived at the road. That was a relief. I was glad they had let the old man go free. It was one less person to worry about. The other truck with its driver was waiting for us, though. The driver started the engine as soon as he saw us emerge from the tropical forest.

The men quickly broke off into separate groups. Two of them grabbed some backpacks out of the truck bed before they jogged back into the jungle to search for Taj. Diego opened the passenger door to acquired a handgun, shoulder holster, and a pair of handcuffs. He talked in Spanish to the remaining man there who was holding onto me as Diego strapped on the holster and put his gun in it.

They exchanged nods, suddenly trading me as if I was unwanted luggage. Diego whipped the handcuffs on me in an expert fashion, making sure they were secure but not too tight. As the other man lumbered into the passenger seat, Diego led me by the cuffs to the back of the truck, helped me up into the bed, and quickly followed.

"Sit," he sharply ordered, pointing to the place he wanted me.

Experimenting a bit, I refused to obey this time to see what he'd do. Also, I just wanted to be stubborn and difficult. What can I say? I'm a typical teenager.

Diego raised his hand over the hood of the car to hit it and tell the driver to move along, but he stopped as soon as he saw I wasn't complying to his wishes. Still as calm and collected as before, he grabbed the front of my grubby shirt and swiftly yanked it downward until I was forced to sit. He kept me there for an extra second so he could sternly say into my ear, "I told you to sit."

"Fine! Alright, I get it," I said quickly.

"Don't test me, _chico_," he told me in a steely tone. He then let go, stood back up, and banged on the roof of the truck. The man kept up his deadpan expression as he collapsed across from me in the truck bed and the vehicle executed a tight u turn on the dirt road before heading back to Aleksey's ranch house.

A/N: There. Not too bad of a cliffhanger, but I still leave with some suspense. Ah, I can't wait for the next chapter! It's one I've been wanting to write since the beginning of the fic. Danny and Vlad meet up, and the games officially begin.


	17. Chapter 17 Dreaded Reunion

A/N: Woo! I love this chapter! It was really fun to write.

Notice: I just updated the last chapter. While I received some uplifting reviews for it this week, I still got some reviewers who were not satisfied. I'll say right now that the narration thing was me experimenting. And I see it was an experiment that went wrong. So I rewrote the chapter so that it's Taj and Danny talking with each other. Most of the stuff is kept the same. The only thing I changed was Taj's sister has a name now (Niobe) and I changed Julie's character to an oddball computer engineer student who hacks on the side. If you want, you can go back and reread what I wrote, or you can plow on ahead with the fan fic.

That said, on with the chapter! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Don't own. Ever.

Chapter 17 Dreaded Reunion

Diego got comfortable in his position as my babysitter, resting his elbows on the edge of the truck bed's side and crossing his legs. Slowly, he chewed his gum as if in a thoughtful way. His dark eyes stayed on me. They only parted from me when the landscape caught his interest, which wasn't often. He remained silent.

Realizing I wasn't going anywhere anytime soon, I did the same as my captor and got comfy. Resting my back against the side of the truck bed, I brought up my legs so they weren't touching Diego's longer ones. I tried not to think about what Vlad would do to me later. Sighing, I found that task nearly impossible.

About an hour into the ride, my stomach sounded for dinner. I grimaced, placing a hand on my aching belly. It hadn't had anything for lunch, and it was low on fuel from my stupid run through the jungle.

"When did you last eat?" Diego asked me. His sudden voice made me give a small start. I thought he was going to be all stone faced this entire trip.

"I had breakfast," I answered, hoping it was the right answer.

Without a word, Diego fished around in one of the backpacks left in the truck bed. He took out a packet of beef jerky and held it out for me. I hesitated, remembering that these were Vlad's hired men. Could I trust their food? This paranoia had to stop, but it was almost instinct now.

"What now?"

"Is it poisoned?"

Diego's black eyebrows came together from either confusion or concern. I couldn't tell. "Why would it be poisoned?" he asked flatly.

"You don't know Vlad very much, do you?" I grumbled, reaching for the packet. My fingers hardly brushed against it when Diego pulled it away. He pinned me with a questioning stare. Aggravation plucked at my senses as I glared at the man and asked, "What was that for?"

"What did you say about my employer?" he asked me. This was interesting. I didn't think he cared about anything. I could work with this.

"Oh, you want to trade with me now?" I said with a curl of my lip. "I give you info about Mr. Masters and you give me supper? Is that how it's going to be?"

"No," Diego said, offering the packet again to me. Before he could take it away a second time, I snatched the jerky out of his hand. As I opened the packet with my teeth because my hands were cuffed together, Diego let out a perturbed sigh, folded his arms across his chest, and looked away from me.

"Thanks," I said with my mouth full of jerky. The man returned his gaze to me, confused. "For the food," I explained, savagely yanking off another bite-sized piece with my teeth. "I was starving."

"I do not like starving the people I capture," Diego stated. "Especially not children."

"So you've captured people my age before?" I choked out after shallowing a too large a piece of the jerky.

"I try not to."

"Why?"

"You ask too many questions."

"You don't ask enough questions."

Diego regarded me with a blank, fathomless stare before he gave up and threw me a contemptuous smile. He leaned forward, saying quietly, "You're just a child."

My teeth gritted together in instinctual anger. Always being scorned and doubted because I was younger than others is something that really gets under my skin. No one ever took me seriously just because I was a teen. I probably experienced more since getting ghost powers than people double my age, but I was always regarded as some halfwit teenager because of my age.

Throwing myself into a lean so that we were face to face, I swiftly retorted, "Exactly. So what justifies you in capturing me for Masters?"

"Simple. Money," Diego said.

"You sure, dude?" I asked. "Do you even know what Vlad wants with me? What if he wants to kill me? You sure you want my blood on your hands?"

"I don't ask my employer questions like that," was Diego's serious response. He was keeping his emotions well masked. Either that, or he had no emotions at the moment. But I wasn't too sure about that. Diego wasn't like his men. He was smarter than them. There was something in his questioning eyes that told me that I was somehow getting to him. Or at least I thought I was.

"Do you know why I'm important to that fruit loop you call your employer?" I asked, jabbing a pointed finger in his direction. Still face to face, I caught his fleeting frown. "Don't you want to know? You know, you can just ask me right now and I might answer you. Go ahead. Ask."

"No."

"Oh, come on! How can you be this way? Are you really this heartless, or is like a condition or something?" I protested loudly. I was trying my hardest to win this guy over, but he was as stone cold as a gargoyle.

Opening my mouth to say more, Diego swiftly cut me off by grabbing my face in one hand, enveloping my mouth with his palm. He held me steady as I tried to pull away. Instead, I was dragged forward by the man's hidden strength so that our noses almost touched.

"Shut up," Diego calmly ordered me. A smirk even made it to his lips as he said, "Do not say another word this entire trip unless you are spoken to. I'm afraid you talk too much."

When he released me, I jerked upright and glared at the man in thought. Finally, I managed the courage to ask in a sneer, "Or you'll do what?"

Diego casually took out his pistol from its shoulder holster, saying, "I'll shoot you."

"Yeah, right," I sarcastically countered. "I heard what Vlad said. You can't kill me. He wouldn't allow it. That would be a waste of money on your part."

"I'll shoot your foot," Diego placidly said as he leaned forward and placed the barrel on top of my right foot sneaker. He did it so nonchalantly that I almost believed him. He quickly noticed my doubt, so he tried to assure me. "My employer told me to use force if I had to. Do not push your good fortune, _chico_."

"You're kidding," I said with a nervous chuckle. "You wouldn't shoot a ki-." I trailed off as soon as Diego cocked his gun, flashing me a challenging smirk. Wiggling my toes in my right foot and meeting resistance against the barrel, I decided it wasn't healthy for me to push this guy any farther. I couldn't risk getting my foot shot.

As soon as Diego saw my compliance, he nodded and returned his gun to its holster. As he restored his relaxed position across from me, he said, "I know what you're trying to do, Danny. The people I capture do it all the time. They talk and connive and twist words. They try to make me doubt my actions or turn against my employer. It does not work."

Well, that was a waste of time. Diego had seen right through me. I felt pretty stupid. Sighing in defeat, I lowered my gaze to my cuffed hands in my lap. This was going to be a long trip back.

Worry and fear started to set in as the hours passed by and the sun set. I wasn't sure what Vlad was going to do with me. If I had never met Taj, I'm sure I'd just get a bad beating and a severe punishment, like the death of my dad. I had a feeling I'd get thrown around now that I bumped into Taj, but Vlad would probably use my dad's life as motivation for me to spill the beans on Taj. What was I going to do when he pulled out that remote? I spent the next few hours working it out in my head.

Even with my plans put together, my nerves still got to me. My left leg bounced in my anxiety, and every few minutes I let out an apprehensive sigh and ran a hand through my greasy hair. To my dismay, my stomach started to act up. It churned every time I thought of the future. I had to close my eyes and rest my head against my knees or I think I would have puked. And I don't think Diego would have appreciated that.

"Do you need to use the restroom?" Diego asked me, his voice unexpected after so many hours of silence. I shook my head without looking up at him. A pause. "Are you sick?"

"I'll survive," I murmured.

"Are you car sick? We can stop for a few minutes if you are."

"Just nervous."

"Do you need water?"

"Maybe."

After a half a minute of rustling through a backpack, Diego found a bottle of water. He leaned forward and had to tap the bottle against my foot to get me to look up at him. For a second, I just stared into his face. There was true concern on it. Despite what he had told me, I think Diego didn't like this job he was doing for Vlad. He didn't like capturing innocent kids. But he had to do his job and earn his money somehow. He didn't feel comfortable backing out now.

"Take it," Diego said, shaking the water bottle between our faces.

That shook me out of my reflection. Muttering a sorry, I slowly took the bottle from him and sipped from it. Although the jungle had cooled down considerably after nightfall, the water was warm. It didn't help much.

"If you need us to stop for a while, tell me," Diego said.

"How long till we get back?" I asked. Diego said nothing. He just watched me emotionlessly through the dim lights casted from the truck's headlights. "Did your guys get Taj yet?" Still no response. "Please, just tell me some-."

"No," Diego said, quiet and stern as always as he cut me off. "I told you to be quiet."

And that's how the rest of the ride went; in total silence except for the sound of the constant whining of the truck's engine, the crunch of dirt and rocks under the tires, and the shrill noises coming from the jungle nightlife. At the top of every hour, someone would update Diego on the walkie talkie in Spanish, so I didn't understand a word they said. From the expression on Diego's face, though, I don't think they captured Taj yet. I could only hope.

At about two in the morning, we arrived at Aleksey's ranch house.

The truck pulled around to the back of the large house, parking close to the back entrance that led into the kitchen. Diego grabbed me by the cuffs and wrenched me to my feet before towing me off the truck and indoors. Reluctantly, I followed him like a lamb to the slaughter. There was one different between me and the oblivious lamb, though: I knew exactly the pain that was coming for me.

Vlad was waiting for us in the main living room. When we came in, he was sitting in one of the luxurious arm chairs by the fire. The crackling flames was his only light to see with as he tiredly read a newspaper. He looked up when he heard Diego and I come in. My stomach twisted when his icy gaze fell solely on me.

Quickly, I darted my eyes away from him. I stared into the burning embers in the large, stone fireplace. Fire. It was perfect. This was the setting I needed.

"Ah, there he is!" Vlad said with a genial chuckle, swiftly standing to greet us. "You did a wonderful job retrieving the boy for me, Diego. He didn't give you too much trouble, did he?"

"He talks too much," Diego said once he was standing stiffly in front of his employer.

"It's one of his more nasty habits, I'm afraid," Vlad said, grinning knowingly. He took my chin in one hand, lifting it so we could look at each other as he commented, "He's rather quiet now, though. Aren't you, dear boy?"

What could I say? If I insulted him now, he'd probably chuckle and pat me on the head, pretending I was some silly teenager. Believe me, though, I wanted to spit in that man's face at that moment. The anger was coursing through my body as I was force-fed the man's crap. I had to settle with a furious glare.

Vlad raised an eyebrow before letting my chin go and returning his attention to Diego. "Have you found Nice yet?" he asked the man.

"No."

"Pity," Vlad muttered, his frustration showing for a fleeting moment. He then dashed it away while ordering Diego, "Tell your men to rest for a few hours as I talk to Danny. Feel free to take a nap in one of the rooms. The kitchen is open to you and your men. Your money for Danny's capture is there on the counter. When I get my answers and a location from the boy, be ready to move out quickly. Understand?"

"Yes, señor." Diego nodded.

"Now please leave," Vlad said with a wave of his hand. "Daniel and I need to talk privately." Again, Diego nodded before turning and exiting the room the same way we came in. Vlad watched him leave as I waited for the inevitable.

As soon as the door closed behind Diego, Vlad put his hands on his hips and chuckled darkly as he summed me up with calculating eyes. "You look like you've been through hell and back, Daniel," he said, lightly touching the knife cut on my shoulder. Ruffling my messy, sweaty hair, he pulled a disgusted face at my odious state as I stepped away. This didn't go unnoticed.

A wolfish smile consumed his features as he leaned into my face, saying, "What's the matter, Danny? You don't trust me anymore? You seemed to be so willing a few nights ago. What changed?"

"I heard it all, Vlad," I spat back, holding my ground. "I heard you and Aleksey talking about me. You brought me out here just so you could mess with my head and try to trick me into liking you. Then you were going to use me to track Taj Nice. No. You already _were_ using me with those nightmares you lied to me about. Everything you do and say is a lie."

"You don't believe that," Vlad said, standing back with a calm smile. "You're just upset right now. It's clouding your judgement."

"Upset? _Upset?_" I shouted angrily back. Sometimes I truly couldn't believe this man! "Of course I'm freaking upset! I'm more than upset, Vlad. I'm pissed!"

"Obviously."

"Oh, and you know _why_?" I asked with a bitter, harsh laugh. Vlad said nothing. He just watched me with a small frown. "Because for once I actually believed you! You gave me so much freedom, Aleksey told me some of your hard past, and it really looked like you were trying to be nice to me in your own, weird way. I saw so much human in you, I thought that maybe I was wrong this whole time and you could change in some ways. And when it all came down to the end, I truly thought you were trying to do me a favor. I thought you were being nice! I gave you a chance!"

To my horror, I felt my chest tighten as hot tears sprung to my eyes. I desperately fought to keep the emotions at bay as I continued. "Then I found out all that you had planned for me, and I panicked. I couldn't take that kind of betrayal. I just couldn't."

I sighed. Here came the moment of truth.

Looking Vlad straight in the eye, I said with all honesty, "I didn't confront you with what I was feeling and just assumed you were planning to do something evil. I'm sorry. But you must understand where I was coming from. Don't you? I-I could be wrong, right? You could actually be nice...somehow? Vlad, if you have any ounce of humanity left in you, please, just...just believe me when I say that you don't want anything to do with Taj Nice and take us home. I promise you I'll do whatever you want. Please, let's just go back home! Please!"

Vlad stayed silent and unmoving.

"You know if you don't do this for me right now, I will never trust you ever again, right?" I shouted up at him, tears clouding my vision slightly. "This is your last chance, Vlad! If you ever want me to willingly trust you or believe anything you say or do, just prove to me right now that you can behave like a human being! Just this once! Come on! ... Please."

An impenetrable, forbidding look was in Vlad's eyes as he continued to watch me. I stared back at him, unwavering but pleading with all my inner might that he would change for me. I wanted to believe that I was that important to the man.

After a minute of silence and staring, I realized that this was Vlad's answer. When it hit me, I actually flinched before looking down in defeat. At one time I opened my mouth to plead some more, but no sound came out of my throat when I tried to speak. It was useless, anyways. So I closed it again, glanced up at Vlad, and said quietly, "Fine."

"Lovely little speech, Daniel, but I'm afraid you'll have to try harder than that," Vlad finally said. He gave a short, sharp laugh before asking me, "Did you really think you could win my sympathy vote? Come now. You must be sleep deprived."

"You don't listen to a thing I say, do you?" I said in angry wonderment, shaking my head.

"Oh, I listen to you, dear boy," Vlad said. "But it seems everything you say is sappy rubbish. All your years of being a superhero have diluted your way of thinking. There will be a day when you realize this, but I'm afraid we don't have the time to wait for you to come to your senses."

"I'm perfectly sensible right now!" I snapped back. "You're just crazy! Crazy and selfish and evil!"

"Don't be stubborn and childish. It's getting old now, Daniel," Vlad said with a frustrated sigh. He rubbed his temple with his left hand, saying, "Now do the rational thing right now and tell me where Taj Nice is. You know I have my ways of prying the information out of you, so you might as well skip all the pain and drama and tell me now. Don't try my patience, boy."

It was my turn to fall silent.

"You were so talkative a minute ago," Vlad said with a sour frown. "Don't be foolish, Daniel. Tell me now."

"Leave Taj alone, Vlad," I said with as much authority as I could muster at the second. "Whatever you want with him, it's not worth it. His power is not what you think it is, alright?"

Vlad's eyes widened in enlightenment. "You've seen the other dimension, haven't you?" he said in surprise and wonder.

"I never said I did," I said reluctantly. Maybe I had made a mistake here.

"Oh, but you did. Indirectly, of course," Vlad said. A conniving grin was making its way to his face as he told me, "Why else would you warn me about Taj and his power? You've had to have seen it."

"Look, it doesn't matter now," I said, raising my cuffed hands. "Because I'm not telling you where he is. I mean, I couldn't even tell you if I wanted to." Vlad raised an eyebrow, so I offered him up my last lie. "We split up as soon as we hit the jungle. We thought it would be better for the both of us. If Diego's men hasn't found him yet, then I'm sorry. You're not going to find him. And it's not like I know where he is."

"I don't believe you," Vlad stated with a serious frown. He took a step toward me. I tried not to swallow as his bigger form seemed to tower over me. With the fire's flames flickering in the distance, it casted a haunting light over Vlad's face, making him look scarier than I'd ever seen him before.

"I'm actually telling the truth, here, Vlad!" I argued.

Vlad bent over so that his face was just above mine. For a second, his eyes raked over my face. He seemed to be searching for something in my scowling expression. Finally, he seemed to have made a decision. "You're lying," he said.

"No, Vlad, I-!"

He struck before I could finish, grabbing me by the shoulder as he rammed his knee into my stomach. My lungs lost its precious air supply and fought to regain it as I doubled over in pain. Vlad wasn't finished. He grabbed a fist of my hair, yanked me back up to my full height, and used his other hand to roughly shove me backwards. The side of the brick fireplace caught my fall. Painful colors exploded through my head as it hit the stone wall first. Hissing through the pain, I leaned against the wall while holding my throbbing head in my cuffed hands.

Looking up, I saw Vlad coming for me. I could have run and evaded his grasp right then, but I forced myself to stay where I was. I knew what was coming. I was prepared for what I had to do.

Vlad slammed me back against the stone wall, pinning me there with a strong forearm against my chest. I didn't have to fake any amount of my fear and pain, but somehow I kept my head clear. It wasn't exactly calm in there, but it was functioning well as I watched Vlad pull the remote to my dad's life out from his jacket's inside pocket.

I didn't give him the chance to threaten me or say a word. I raised my leg and suddenly ground my heel as hard as I could into Vlad's foot. As he reacted to that pain with a hissed curse, I lowered into a crouch before plowing my shoulder into Vlad's gut. It was so unexpected, Vlad lost his balance and we went tumbling to the wooden floor. I landed on top of Vlad's chest with a wince.

Perilously, I flung myself toward his hand holding the remote. I snatched it from his grasp, lifted it into the air out of his reach, and prepared to throw it into the fireplace. The fire would melt the device and destroy it. Once it was in the fire and burning hot to the touch, Vlad wouldn't dare try and get it back out for fear of burning himself. Even if he went intangible through the flames, he'd still burn his hand if he tried to pick it up. I could only hope he wouldn't be desperate enough to go after it anyways.

Throwing my arm back for the toss, Vlad sat up under me and grabbed my wrist in a vice grip. He wasn't down for the count, that was for sure. Straining against him, I had to dig my knee into his shoulder to keep any kind of control over the hand with the remote in it.

"Drop it!" Vlad growled into my face. His tight grip on my wrist made it feel like he was crushing bones.

"No!" I gasped back, fighting against the pain as I struggled.

Vlad was relentless as he suddenly twisted my arm, bringing it harshly down against the coffee table next to us. I cried out at the stab of pain that shot up my arm, unwillingly letting go of the remote. It skittered across the table and landed on the other side.

That's when Vlad made a mistake. He let me go.

The man lunged over the coffee table to get the remote. Thinking fast, I used my legs to push the table away so that it sat above the remote. Vlad clumsily landed against the table in his eagerness to get the device. It took him a second to recoup after such a debacle. He looked back at me, infuriated. I didn't look at him as I forced my body to move before Vlad did.

My eyes were on the remote as I surged forward in a slide on the ground. I held my breath as I threw back my leg. Like a soccer player aiming for a winning goal, I slid across the floor, under the coffee table, and kicked the remote toward the open fireplace.

I didn't see the results of my actions. Instead, a fist collided with my face, and I reeled backwards and hit my head against the hard wooden floor. It all happened so fast, I didn't even know that I had blacked out from the blow until I came to a few seconds later.

"Ug," I groaned as pain throbbed against my skull. Groggily, I looked around the room before spotting the dark form of a man standing over me. It was Vlad, and he looked pissed...very pissed. This was a bitter sweet moment. I'd gotten rid of the remote, but ultimately brought the wrath of Vlad on me.

Vlad raised his hand, which instantly burst into pink flames. I had no time to register this before he had already attacked with an ectoplasm ray straight to my exposed chest. The hit left my gasping and choking for air. Every breath was a struggle as my ribs, lungs, and throat ached with each heartbeat. Wheezing, I writhed in pain on the floor, waiting helplessly for more torture from Vlad.

"You're getting on my last nerve, boy," Vlad spat down at me as he grabbed a chunk of my T-shirt and lifted me up so that our noses actually brushed. I was so weak, I could hardly protest the close encounter with a wiggle.

"You did that on purpose," Vlad seethed into my face, giving me a short, violent shake.

"Of course I did," I choked out, wincing.

Vlad opened his mouth to shout something at me, but he promptly closed it. Surprise blossomed across his face. He glanced back at the fire then to me, asking, "Did you actually plan that, Daniel?"

I paused, suddenly becoming very concerned. I didn't like the look on Vlad's face. He wasn't angry anymore. No. He looked intrigued. More than that. He was looking at me like I was a new, special toy that he was going to have a lot of fun with. It was unexpected, and it freaked me out because I had no clue what Vlad was going to do next.

"Y-yeah," I responded truthfully before my brain could tell me to lie.

Vlad stood up to his full height, bringing me up to my feet in front of him. I felt ready to collapse, but Vlad held me up by cupping my chin in the palm of his hand. Swallowing in fear, I unenthusiastically met Vlad's uncomfortable gaze.

What was he going to do with me?

A/N: Clifffffhangerrrrr! I just really wanted to say that. But, yeah, I'm happy about the chapter and the next one. I'm moving this next week back to PA in the States, so I can only hope I'll have the time to update with the next chapter at the right time. If not, I'll be back in two weeks. Have a happy Dance Day, guys! Later!


	18. Chapter 18 Halfway Escape

A/N: These last two weeks have been some of the longest two weeks of my life. At this point, I'm going back to university so I can relax and sleep in. Seriously. I'm freaking exhausted. And in two more weeks, I'll be back in Texas and attending university again for another semester. Sheesh. Too much moving and farm work and stress. So if I have to go another two weeks before updating, I hope you guys understand. And thank you for all your reviews! They carry me on. Enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: This doesn't get old. I don't own any Danny Phantom characters.

Chapter 18 Halfway Escape

"I'm scaring you now, aren't I?" Vlad chuckled. "I'm not behaving like you planned. That's why. But I'm going to give you time to think about my reaction. Because you oh so cleverly found a way to destroy the remote and so all present uses of coercion, I'm afraid I'll have to discover some other method to get the information out of you. That's going to take some time, so we'll have to find you a place to sit still while I make my next move. Understand, Daniel?"

"Wait - what? No," I said as Vlad abruptly ended his discourse and started to haul me toward the stairs. He was as gentle as a chainsaw as he lugged me up to the second floor, all the while smirking at my feeble squirming and protests. Halfway up the stairs, he found my floundering bothersome and moved his grip to my hair.

"I'll have to admit," he was saying, ignoring my sharp hisses of pain as I obediently tried to keep his pace. "When you first ran away, I thought you might be a bit scared and disgruntled, but I didn't expect you to be so desperate so soon. This Taj fellow must be very convincing if he's motivated you this much. You'll have to introduce me to him soon."

"You're making a mistake," I said, glaring up at Vlad. "You have no idea what you're getting into. Taj's power is not what you think it is!" I growled in frustration. "Why am I even talking to you? It's not like you or anyone else in this insane jungle takes me seriously anyways!"

"You want to be taken seriously, my boy?" Vlad said, grinning as he stopped in the middle of the hallway. He lowered his face close to mine to reveal his answer to my problem. "Then I suggest you find a way to stop me."

"I will," I boldly retorted. What else could I have said? Anything less would have made me look like a wimp or someone who wasn't serious. Then again, I should have just stayed silent.

"Oh, don't disappoint me by telling me all your plans right now," Vlad said teasingly as he opened the storage closet door. "It's better if you keep it a surprise till the very end. If you get lucky, I might even die from the suspense. Now, in you go."

"The closet? Seriously, Vlad?" I objected. Grunting, I planted my feet against the doorframe as Vlad tried to shove me inside. "Come on! No! Whatever happened to my room? Can't I get locked up in there?"

"After that skirmish we had in the living room downstairs, I'm not quite sure if I trust you in your room," Vlad said honestly. He tried knocking my feet out of the way, but I was determined to get better conditions than a storage closet.

"What about a bathroom? I need to pee, you know? And shower. What about that?" I said.

"I find this solution the best, quite frankly," Vlad told me, releasing another amused grin on my behalf. He was actually enjoying himself. It made me sick just knowing I had thrown myself willingly into his twisted game. Maybe I was crazy, too.

Finally, Vlad got tired of my uncooperative actions. He abruptly let me go, almost making me fall backwards because I'd been pushing so hard against him. After a short tumble, I regained my footing just as I slammed into Vlad's chest. He deftly spun me around so we faced each other before lifting a glowing hand full of ghost energy toward my face.

"I'll tell you one more time, Daniel," Vlad warned, threatening me with the crackle of the fiery pink ectoplasm oozing around his hand. "Get in that closet, or I'll knock you out and drag you in there myself. Do you want to wake up in a couple of hours from now? It's your choice."

"I could use the nap," I muttered back. Vlad's eyebrows rose into his forehead before they swiftly lowered in frustration. Before he could attack, I relented by quickly backing into the closet, saying cockily, "Joking, Vlad. I'm joking. Don't look so _upset_."

"Don't get cheeky with me, Daniel," Vlad smirked, reaching for the doorknob. He paused when his eyes landed on something I was wearing. Like a striking snake, he plucked the necklace Toushiro had given me off my neck and dangled it in front of his face for closer inspection. I guess during our scramble it had fallen out from under my shirt. His expression was unreadable as he seemed to try and take this information in and work it out.

"I thought Diego reported finding that extra necklace of mine you stole being in your backpack," Vlad said, throwing me a curious look. "Where did you get this one?"

"Your mom. I don't know," I said with a shrug. I'd never rat out Toushiro. He didn't deserve to get caught up in this mess.

Vlad stared back at me blandly. Like a typical fruit loop, he didn't appreciate the Your Mama joke. I didn't let his penetrating stare phase me, though. Calmly, I watched him and waited for him to either piece it together himself or close the door and leave me alone.

I'm sad to say that it was the former that won.

As the puzzle pieces snapped into place in his head, Vlad let out an amused chuckle that made me grit my teeth to keep down the shiver spiking up my spine. "Oh, this is too precious!" Vlad laughed at my loss. Looking at the necklace in his hand, he thought aloud, "No wonder you risked telling me that cellphone incident from the airport. You already knew. You were playing me that day."

"What are you talking about?" I asked, trying to act dumb.

Vlad's eyes shot up and captured mine in their icy snare. I swallowed. Hard. I couldn't believe it when all he did was pat my cheek affectionately and said with a sinister smile, "Good work, Daniel. I'll be keeping this necklace, if you don't mind. I'll see you in a few hours or so for a talk about your knowledge on Taj Nice."

He paused just as he was closing the door to say as a finishing touch, "Maybe your friend Toushiro will want to join us."

Then the door was closed. It was locked. Stunned and shaking in my fear and anger, I was left in the darkness of the storage closet all alone.

Okay. I couldn't panic.

Panicking, I threw myself at the door with a strangled scream. Anger and fearful frustration seemed to pour out of me as I attacked the door. No matter how hard I pounded and kicked the slab of wood or fiddled with the doorknob, though, that door didn't budge. Gasping greedily for breath, I slumped against the door in distress. What a freaking disaster.

I felt the effects of a sob tighten my chest and put an ache in my stomach. Furiously, I closed my eyes and pushed the feelings away. No. I couldn't break down here and now. It wouldn't do me any good. Yes, I was scared. Yes, I was worried about Toushiro and Taj. Yes, I was trapped in a storage closet. No, I wasn't going to let those things weigh me down and keep me from using my head to escape and fix this horrible mess.

"Get a grip," I whispered harshly to myself.

It took a few tries to finally get the crappy light on in the closet. After the lurid light flickered to life and drove away the darkness, I could feel myself calm down. Sighing, I took careful stock of the room's contents. There were extra sheets and towels lining one whole wall of shelving. Cleaning supplies like Windex, dusters, bathroom cleaner, paper towels, and toilet brushes sat on another shelf. There were boxes full of bars of soap; bottles of lotion, shampoo, and conditioner; small mints and chocolates; writing pads of paper with the ranch's name and address on them; pens for those pads; and glass mugs for water or coffee. They were typical hotel room needs. In one corner was a vacuum, broom, dustpan, mop, and plastic water bucket. That was it.

"Not much I can use," I muttered as the hateful light bulb flickered with a shrill buzz overhead. Shooting a glare at the bulb, I turned my attention to the door. It was my best bet getting out of there if I had the right tools.

My hope to use the door as my means for escape flopped pathetically before dying completely when I noticed that Vlad had melted the inside of the door's lock. "Paranoid fruit loop," I seethed, striking the door with a foot for good measure. I soon regretted it. All I got was a bruise.

Stepping away from the door, I glanced around the room for any other chance of escape. My eyes landed on the small air vent on the ceiling. Maybe it was possible. One question: was I small enough to fit through?

Mad determination ran through me as I awkwardly climbed the shelves with my hands still cuffed. Once I was close enough, I saw that the vent cover would have to come off first before I could see if I could fit through or not. One thing for sure, though; it was gonna be one hell of a squeeze.

Three minutes of thinking and glancing around gave me a solution to my screwdriver problem for the screws keeping the vent cover in place. The mop bucket's handle was thin and metal. I easily yanked it off the plastic tub and bent the ends to my liking before hastily climbing back up to the vent. Using the thin end of the handle, I cumbersomely and slowly twisted the old screws out of place and let them fall to the ground along with the cover.

I was so excited to get the cover off after 30 straight minutes of hard work that I didn't want to waste time with a break. Immediately, I grabbed the sharp ledge inside the vent and took a look into the shaft.

It wasn't pretty. The air vent shaft was incredibly small. What if I got stuck? I could suffocate! I couldn't risk that. I mean, I could probably get through the first part. But anything beyond that would be pushing my luck. And luck wasn't on my side.

Sighing in disappointment, I lowered my head and slowly climbed back down.

By then I needed a short rest to think things through. My body was feeling tired and worn out from running around all day and getting pummeled by Vlad. Hunger stabbed my stomach. Thirst dried out my tongue. And let's not forget that I reeked. Sweat, mud, dirt, and more sweat; I felt and smelled like a hobo.

Staring up at the vent in contemplation from where I lay on the ground, a question suddenly hit me. What was beyond the vent? Attic? A crawl space? Was it bigger than the vent shaft? What about the third floor?

I had to find out. Discovering what was beyond suddenly became my only passion in that storage closet. Using the handle of the broom, I shoved and pried at the corners of the vent's shaft to try and wrench it off the ceiling opening and out of the way. I worked on that thing for a long time before it relented and budged for me. Eventually, I had rammed the entire vent shaft out of place and pushed it aside, but only after it gave a horrible screech. Holding my breath, I listened for if Vlad or anyone else had heard it. After five silent minutes of standing in the middle of the room, I decided no one had heard it and I was safe to proceed.

"Man, I wish I had a flashlight," I whispered as soon as I squeezed my head through the small space and looked around. Despite the lack of light, I could tell the crawl space between this floor and the next was bigger than the ventilation system. This was awesome!

"You're almost there! You just have to find a way to fit through the vent opening," I had to remind myself. Jokingly, I muttered, "If only you could cover yourself with butter. I now know how fat people feel when they can't fit through doorways or get stuck in inner tubes."

My eyes widened at the thought.

"Or maybe a butter substitute would work," I practically giggled. Hopping up to grab a box, I couldn't keep the inane grin off my face. I ripped it open to reveal bottles full of hand lotion.

I was amazed at how it was all coming together for me. It wasn't smooth sailing, but hope was still in reach. Ghost powers would have been nice to have, but I was finding out just how innovated I could be without them. Maybe I didn't need superpowers to be a hero. Maybe it was the right mind set or the right heart. If that was true, then I had a chance at beating Vlad. It was about time for Danny Fenton to kick some evil Vlad ass anyways. Things had gotten too personal between us.

Squeezing the hand cream all over my body, I couldn't help but feel a little bizarre and crazy. What superhero lathers himself in lotion to squeeze through a ventilation shaft? Yeah. I was loony. But you know what? I didn't mind my surge of insanity. If it got me out of that closet, I'd be thrilled!

Preparing for the worst, I tied a hand towel around my head to protect my nose and mouth from the dust I was sure to encounter. I put some extra bottles of lotion in my pockets before making my last climb up to the vent opening.

I almost didn't make it through. If I didn't have that lotion, I wouldn't have stood a chance. And I didn't make it out without drawing blood. My arms were marked up and down with nicks and scrapes by the time I finally gave my last grunt and pulled my butt through.

Panting in the tight, filthy crawl space to recover after such a fight with the vent opening, I could feel my sweaty, lotion-covered, and bleeding body stick to the dust that covered every surface of that hot, dark room. Once recovered, I crawled army man style deeper into the unknown. I stuck close to the vent shafts to keep a sense of direction, but soon I realized that there was also plumping and wiring going on up in the crawl space. A creepy trickle would sound every time someone flushed the toilet or turned on water. It was so eerie because I couldn't see a thing the entire time.

After a long period of crawling and a small bout of claustrophobia, I found a spot in the vent shafts that I wanted to exit. It was more difficult getting this section of the vent off than the one back in the closet. Maybe it was because I was blind and didn't have the help of the broom. After much sweat and grunting, the vent finally came off with another awful screech that made me grimace.

The expression didn't last long when fresh, clean air burst forth from the opening I'd created. With a sharp kick, I broke off the vent cover and heard as it dropped onto a soft surface in the dark room below. Lotion was reapplied to my mucky body before I lowered myself down through the small hole. It was easier this time than the first, but it was still a pain in the butt.

At last, I squeezed free and let myself drop to the ground. I was kinda surprised when I landed on a springy bed. Quickly relaxing and dropping to my knees on the soft mattress, I smiled. This was good. No one probably heard my fall this way.

Fueled by sheer determination, I got off the bed and hurried over to the door. I listened for footsteps; hearing none, I silently opened the door and peeked out into the hallway. Not a soul could be seen.

My heart pounded as if some rock band's drummer was beating away inside my chest as I stepped out into the empty hallway. With my wild hair looking like a rain cloud and a bolt of electricity had gotten ahold of it and my body covered in dust, sweat, and blood, I felt like I was escaping from a loony bin or the zoo. There was almost a primal instinct in me not to be seen or caught. I was going to fight anyone who got in my way, too. I needed to get out of there undetected so I could warn Toushiro then meet up with Taj. Those were some pretty lofty goals.

Knowing all the rooms would be locked (including my own), I decided to just move on with the escape. The sooner I got out of there, the more ground I could cover. I still had an hour before Vlad would come for me, but he could still check up on his favorite prisoner at any time. I couldn't risk discovery so soon.

Avoiding the main staircase incase there were people in the large entrance living room, I ventured the back way to a second staircase. Swiftly, I rushed down the carpeted steps and arrived in a big, spacious music room. Large, crystal clear windows lined two walls that looked out onto the ranch. An impressive chandelier hung from the tall ceiling. A polished and glistening grand piano sat in the corner near the windows. Without the lights on in the room, it didn't look very friendly. I quickly moved onto the kitchen.

The bright kitchen lights were on when I arrived, but no one was there. Traces of the others lined the counters as dirty dishes were stacked up in the sink; salsa stains, eating utensils, and crumbs were scattered across the island bar; and used bread loaves sat near the oven.

I would have picked something up for myself to eat, but I was in a hurry. The kitchen looked like a hot spot for traffic that night. I needed to be out of there quick. My plan was to saddle another horse like before and ride away. And if all else failed, I could walk. All I knew was that I needed to get out of there before crap hit the fan.

Dashing for the back door by the oven, my brain was furiously working out my plans. Then, to my complete horror, the doorknob twisted and the door swung open. It was so quick and out of the blue, I hardly had time to put on my brakes before I ran into the person coming in. Sliding to a stop, I saw who it was.

My stomach turned to liquid when I met the eyes of Aleksey Masters.

The man was beyond surprised to see me in our near head-on collision. His wide-eyed, innocent expression was clear proof of this. There was a short, tense pause between us as we both were forced to recalculate and plan our next moves.

"Danny?" Aleksey exclaimed, a vicious smile pulling at the edges of his lips. A dark look came into the man's eyes as he said coyly, "Is that you under that layer of dust, boy? You off to fight the dust bunnies?" He paused before chuckling with forged virtuosity, "Oh, did I mess up your escape plan? Is that it? You must excuse my rudeness."

I whispered a curse as I jumped backwards and away from the big man and slammed into the edge of the island. Aleksey grinned a foul, wicked smile I never knew he could possess as he slowly slunk toward me. He reminded me of a grisly bear who had cornered its hapless prey. Aleksey knew I was helpless, and he was prepared to play and toy with me until I pleaded for mercy. It sent a sick pit in my stomach.

"Oh, what are you going to do next?" Aleksey said mockingly in almost a sing-song voice as he watched me frantically look around for a weapon or form of escape. "Ah, just look at the concentration on your terrified, little face. It is simply adorable! Ha ha!"

Gritting my teeth from the intensity, I lunged across the island and wrapped by fingers around a used steak knife. Leveling the knife out in front of me to ward off Aleksey, I felt like a cornered, desperate mouse. Another pang of sickness hit me as I really missed my ghost powers. I hated this feeling of hopelessness when it came down to fighting.

This was ridiculous! I couldn't believe I was prepared to stab a man to escape.

"What are you gong to do with that?" Aleksey scoffed as he eyed the knife. "You don't know how to use it."

"Back off!" I barked back at the large man. I knew if he got a hold on me that I was as good as caught. He was as strong as Vlad. Maybe stronger. I wasn't going to get away if he grabbed me, and we both seemed to know this.

"Or what?" Aleksey laughed jovially. He was really enjoying this! It was sick! He was more like Vlad than I originally thought. I was a moron for believing all the crap this man had given me these past few days. Just thinking about my mistake made me angry.

The enraged emotion festered inside me and sparked the ignition for action. With a sharp cry, I leaned forward and swiped the knife through the air. Aleksey took a step back to avoid getting his chest sliced. His eyes closely watched my hands and the knife. When I repeated the action to try and make him move more, he simply leaned away with a grim smile on his face.

That's when I made my mistake. I made a third swipe. It was too predictable.

Aleksey dodged the knife while striking at the same time. His arm came up and lashed out with precision, nabbing my watch and wrist with the knife in it with an engulfing hand. He drove forward with my arm in tow. With a mighty grunt, he raised my wrist before bringing to down hard on the island counter.

White, hot pain shot up my arm as I cried out and let the knife go. The pain brought me to my knees. I collapsed against the island, squeezing my eyes shut as sharp tendrils of agony sliced through my arm and slowly through the rest of my body. This wasn't normal pain, but I couldn't think straight enough at the time to notice that.

"Oh my," Aleksey muttered, still holding my hurt wrist. It was the unsettled tone in his voice that made me open my eyes and glance up at him. Gasping through my agony, I noticed he was looking down at me with fear and amazement in his eyes. It was as if he had seen a ghost.

My eyes widened in realization, and I snapped my head around to look down at my arm still laid out across the counter. It wasn't there! I mean, it was there, but I couldn't see it. I was invisible!

"N-no way!" I choked out in disbelief. Had I really gotten my ghost powers back because Aleksey had hit the watch too hard? Quickly, I tried to go intangible to find out.

Bad idea. As soon as I tried, sparks of electricity shot out of the watch and crawled up my arm. I tried to fight against the watch's power with a grunt of exertion, but the strain was too much. A second later, I had to relent and give up on that part of my power. As soon as I subsided, the watch let up on the pain.

Going limp and visible again, I slumped back against the island and greedily gulped for air to regain my breath and strength. While in a big part this was a defeat, a small bit of it was a victory. It looked like I at least had my power of invisibility back. If Vlad couldn't fix the watch, I at least had that in my arsenal.

"What just happened, boy?" Aleksey asked me in a gruff tone. When I pretended to ignore him, he roughly raised my wrist high above his head. Yelping, I was pulled off my feet and found myself dangling in front of the man so that we were eye to eye. Those piercing blue orbs were as icy as Vlad's when he narrowed them on me. It made my breath hitch in my throat as I tried to claw my way out of Aleksey's grip. After a moment's struggle, I swallowed my defeat and glared back at the man.

"It's not my watch," I croaked out, wincing at my weak voice. "How should I know?"

Aleksey studied me for a moment before grinning cheerfully. "And here I thought you were going to be a stupid, pathetic little kid," he laughed jovially into my face. He then threw me over one of his strong shoulders like I was a sack of potatoes and strode toward the refrigerator, saying back to me, "I see now you put up a decent fight. That is good."

"Put me down!" I growled in humiliation. Aleksey was handling me as if I was a rag doll. No matter how much I hit him and struggled, he kept me draped over his shoulder. He just chuckled at my fruitless efforts as if I was a silly kid as he walked confidently around the kitchen to fix himself a meal before heading for the main living room.

Abruptly, he grabbed me from behind and flipped me into an armchair. I let out a surprised scream as I was thrown down and landed harshly into the soft, leather folds of the chair. Slowly, I rightened myself in the seat and watched as Aleksey plopped tiredly into the armchair across from mine. He propped his feet up on the chess table between us as he popped open a beer bottle. Sipping from it, he still managed to keep an eye on me.

"I can now understand why Vlad wants you so much," Aleksey said, putting down his drink. "There is a fight in your eyes. I did not see it before, but I can see it now. You are wearing it as we speak." He took another sip from his beer, chuckling at my glare in return. Pointing at me with the hand holding the bottle, he said, "I would be intimidated if you were not so puny."

"You're just like him," I said, shaking my head in disgust. Emotionlessly, Aleksey watched me as I spat at him, "You're crazy just like Vlad. Do you really think you two are going to get away with whatever you have planned for Taj? Oh, and while we're on the subject of wild delusions, do you _actually_ believe I'll ever want to become Vlad's fruitcake sidekick after all this?"

"Truthfully, boy, I never had the notion you would turn toward my nephew," Aleksey admitted with a shrug. He took a chug of his beer before leaning forward slightly to tell me, "You do not have the nerve."

Frowning, I did not understand why this made me angry. This man did not know me. He didn't know the depths I'd go to protect the ones that meant most to me.

"Do not get so upset," Aleksey laughed at my expression. He kept a sharp eye on me as he grabbed two sandwiches he had made in the kitchen from a table beside him. Leaning forward, he offered me one as he said, "You have heart, boy, but you do not processes the stomach to kill. I'm sure that you would not be able to pull the trigger on me if I gave you a gun right now."

"You want to prove that theory?" I muttered as I leaned forward to take the sandwich.

Quickly, I snatched the food out of his hand before he could think twice about pulling it away. I had to fight down a giddy smile as I started in on the meal. I was so hungry at that moment that I could have eaten anything without question.

Aleksey laughed heartily at my little verbal jab. Unlike Vlad, he thought I was actually funny. "I'm afraid not," he said before taking another sip of beer. "You have already caused enough damage, boy. I would like you to know that I had to pay that family you gave Perro to twice the amount you gave them to get him back. You so as look at my horse again, and I will personally tan your hide. That was deplorable what you did to my animal."

"Oh, sure," I mumbled sarcastically around a mouthful of food, "adore and worry over the horse. But let's not care about the _human_ teenager who's been kidnapped. Yeah. There's nothing wrong with that."

"It is a shame you are not a horse," Aleksey said teasingly. "Then maybe I could teach you some manners."

"Real shame," I snapped back with an unfriendly smile. "And I'll have you know, dude, that I took care of Perro the best I knew how. You're lucky I found him a good home and didn't leave him on the side of the road somewhere. Oh, and by the way, that horse has more human in him than you and Vlad combined."

"Aw, you are just unhappy that you got caught," Aleksey said with a degrading, goading smile.

"Let's not forget being kidnapped," I pointed out cheekily. In the middle of chewing the last of my sandwich, I added, "I'm pretty _unhappy_ about that too."

"Sarcastic, little thing, aren't you?" the man said, having a good laugh at my expense. "It is a miracle you and Vlad have not killed each other yet. He hates the snarky ones your age."

"So maybe if I'm as sarcastic as possible, I can drive Vlad away," I half jokingly plotted aloud. Leaning back in my seat, my brain was trying to decide between attempting an escape before Vlad showed up or directing my energies toward prying information out of Aleksey. My chances for getting out of there were pretty slim.

Shaking his head and smiling in a demeaning manner, the man said as he rested his head in one of his giant palms, "Oh, it will take a lot more than that to achieve that kind of goal. My nephew is very interested in you. He likes to get what he wants. Not until you are dead will he think about relenting his engrossment for you."

That's what sealed my decision. Even if I could turn invisible, I wouldn't have the energy to stay that way for a long time. And Aleksey was fast; he could probably catch me before I made it off the couch. So information gathering it was.

"But you said so yourself that I'd never turn toward him," I pointed out. Trying to sound ignorant, I asked, "Won't he get tired of my resistance?"

"Not likely," Aleksey answered. His eyes had never left me this entire time. I felt like he was evaluating me with them as he said slowly, "Vlad sees determination as a very reputable quality. The more you resist him, the more he will want to change you."

"So I'm basically screwed," I muttered. Going out on a limb, I asked in a mumble, "What about blackmail?"

As predicted, Aleksey didn't expect me to be thinking such things. He thought I was a naive superhero teenager who wouldn't dream of doing something so evil. Chuckling to mask his surprise, Aleksey said, "My nephew closely covers his tracks. You will not be able to pin anything down on him that will be significant enough. Quite frankly, the only way to get my nephew to stop bothering you is to become just as or more powerful than he is. But that will not be happening for another few years. You have just hardly passed puberty. You do not have the years or experience to ever match Vlad. This is pure fact."

It was exactly what Vlad had told me just a few hours ago. If I wanted people to listen to me and if I wanted _Vlad_ to listen me, I had to beat him. Here and now.

Vlad didn't expect me to win this round. I had recently surprised him a little, but he didn't think I was any kind of match. This was just a training round for me. But if I did beat him...what kind of results would that give me? There was a risk he'd want me more. Then again, I could be considered a threat. I'd be considered his equal. Was there a possibility I could gain my freedom from Vlad by winning?

This one question spiraled my thoughts in thousands of different directions. The chance to finally get Vlad off my back was so inwardly thrilling, I managed to block out Aleksey's heavy stare to process all my options and plans. This was now more than Taj. While he was still the focal point of my plans, I now had a new and deeper drive for my quest: freedom.

I was so wrapped up in my thoughts, I didn't hear Vlad come into the room until he briskly walked past my chair. He was just as preoccupied as I was because he didn't even see me as he told Aleksey, "Toushiro is arriving any moment now, uncle. Why are you sitting around? I thought I told you to watch the front door."

Before the older man could respond, Vlad followed his uncle's stare and landed his gaze on me. For a moment, he didn't recognize me under the layer of dust and grime. As identification clicked in his head, his eyebrows rose into his forehead and a smirk landed on his lips. Boldly, I stared back at him, trying my best to read his mood. It was nearly impossible. Vlad was a hard egg to crack.

"Danny," he drawled with a curious cock of his head. He shot me a playful, knowing smile as he said, "You look awful, my dear boy. What did you do? Crawl through the ventilation system?"

I remained silent. I felt like it was the smart thing to do.

"Silent treatment, eh?" Vlad said, unperturbed. "I guess that's a step up from a five-year-old tantrum. You're improving."

I bit my tongue to keep it from saying anything I'd regret. It had a nasty habit of doing that. Instead, I sat still and let Vlad's biting words cut through me with only a frown to express my anger and frustration.

"I'll get the answer out of you soon enough," Vlad assured me with a devious wink. This made me frown more. He was in a good, cocky mood. That meant things were going his way. How could I change that? I didn't have much time to process anymore because things started to pick up quickly from that moment forward.

WIth a burst of black rings, Vlad had turned from human to ghost. As always, his transformation was impressive. I always wondered if it looked as powerful when I did it. I'd like to think so.

Watching Vlad go ghost really made me want to do the same. The needy sensation to feel the walls of reality slip away was building up steadfastly in me. It was like a cold, raw feeling in my chest that was bursting to get out but was trapped in the prison of that watch.

As if the move was second nature, Vlad split himself in two. I looked on with envy. It took me forever to learn how to do that...and I still sucked at it. Vlad continued with his plans by turning one of his halves back to human. It took me a second to understand that he was covering his tracks this way. Toushiro knew about both Plasmius and Masters, but no one had bothered to tell him that they were both one and the same. This way, Toushiro would truly believe the ghost and the human were separate people. Vlad had done this plenty of times before. It was a smart move on his part.

Grinning down at Aleksey, Vlad's human side said as he took his pistol out of a hidden holster in his jacket, "Let's hope the Japanese man still cares for Danny. What do you think, uncle?"

"You said so yourself this man has a soft spot for children. If that is true, your plan is fool proof. You will have to keep the boy quiet at first, though," Aleksey responded. "You would not want him blabbing away the minute Toushiro and his men come waltzing through the door."

"Of course," the human Vlad said as he and his ghostly counterpart moved away from each other. The ghost side walked purposely toward the large front door while the human side lackadaisically headed for me.

Gripping my arm with his free hand, Vlad pulled me to my feet, ordering with a wave of his gun, "To your feet, Daniel. Quickly, now. We have your friend to greet."

"What are you planning to do with Toushiro?" I asked. The question just sort of bubbled out of me as I stumbled to my feet before having Vlad's free arm wrap around my neck to keep my back closely pressed up against Vlad's chest.

"I'll do nothing with him if your cooperate properly," Vlad told me. He gave a tsk, commenting on my physical state as he chided, "You smell like a homeless person, Daniel! How in God's name did you get this way?"

"I sprayed on some cheap anti-fruitloop repellant," I answered with a flimsy smile. "It obviously didn't work. I want my money back."

"Lovely. You still have time for your sarcasm, I see," Vlad muttered. He shot Aleksey a cool glare when he caught his uncle grinning at my joke.

Vlad didn't get the chance to say more because Diego and his small group of men had arrived. Diego already had his pistol drawn and ready in hand as he strode into the large living room, whisked past Vlad and I, and joined Plasmius by the main door. He didn't even glance at me. This was worrisome.

"They are coming," was all Diego said to Vlad.

"Then get ready," Vlad ordered everyone. "And remember I want them alive. If you have to shoot, don't use lethal force." Diego and his men nodded in understanding. "And you," Vlad addressed me as he placed the barrel of his pistol against my temple, "I want you to remain quiet. If you say anything you're not supposed to, I'll shoot your ear. Got that, boy? Don't test me."

With his arm wrapped around my neck, it was hard to swallow. He could probably feel my throat muscles tighten against his arm as I instinctively gulped down the fear clogged up in there and nodded. I didn't trust my voice.

Abruptly the room went silent as the main door opened and Toushiro stepped in, his two partners just a pace behind him. All three of them froze in surprise and fear. The first thing they saw was me being held by gunpoint by Masters. The second thing they probably noticed was the fact that they were covered by both sides. Plasmius stood ready on their left; Diego and his men on the right. This, obviously, was a very bad day for the three Japanese men.

Toushiro knew he was in deep trouble, but he was somehow very cool and relaxed about it. Instead of freaking out and demanding to know what was going on, the man glanced from side to side, sighed heavily, and then smiled grimly.

"Now, I'm pretty sure this isn't a surprise birthday party for me," he said languidly, landing his serious gaze on the Vlad who was holding me, "So do you mind telling me why you've positioned your entire team to greet me and my men, Mr. Masters?"

A/N: Whew! Not too bad of an ending. Not too cliffhanger, right? Hope the longer chapter satisfies you guys for another two weeks. Hopefully I'll get time to write during that period as I first take care of the farm before shipping myself out to university. I could use some prayer...and sleep. Sleep would be very nice. Anyways, I'll see you guys in two weeks! Hope you liked the chapter! Later, readers!


	19. Chapter 19My Life as an Insurance Policy

A/N: Again, so much has happened in only two weeks since my last update. So in four weeks I've moved around from three different homes, lived on a farm, went to NYC on a last minute vacation, then started a new semester at university. So stress is high, but I'm getting into the groove of things. Enough of me, though. Let's get back to poor ol' Danny and the crap I'm putting him through. Enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own any Danny Phantom characters. But all the others like Taj, Toushiro, and Diego are mine. So no touchie!

Chapter 19 My Life as an Insurance Policy

"I'll explain everything once you and your men are properly disarmed, Mr. Izumi," Vlad said with wicked politeness. "To ensure all our safety, I have Danny, here, as proper motivation for you to behave."

Toushiro nodded in understanding before turning his gaze onto me for the first time. Concern shown in his green eyes as he asked me, "Are you alright, kid?"

"I'm fine," I answered with a weak smile. I paused, worked up the nerve, and then blurted out with all honesty, "I'm sorry."

A sad smile briefly crossed Toushiro's face as he said, "Don't worry about me, Danny."

I couldn't obey his suggestion when Vlad ordered his men and his other half to disarm the group. "And make sure to get all of Mr. Izumi's knives," Vlad was saying, motioning with his gun. "He's notorious for his secret stashes."

Toushiro smiled resentfully at Masters the entire time Diego and Plasmius patted him down and pulled out more than a dozen different types of knives off his person. There were some in a shoulder holster, others in his pockets, and one they almost missed in his left boot. There were knives that had wooden handles, a few had curved blades, some were ninja stars, and there was at least one butterfly knife that Diego found with a flabbergasted look on his face. The collection was pretty impressive. The smug look on Toushiro's face told me he knew this.

Once finished disarming the three Japanese men, Vlad ordered Diego's men to take the two unimportant and highly confused teammates upstairs and lock them in a room. Somehow Vlad and his men had the entire night planned out already. Everyone knew what was going on...except me.

Diego and Plasmius brought a chill and compliant Toushiro forward as Vlad steered me toward a set of couches close to where Aleksey still sat. We both sat down just as Toushiro was forced to in an armchair across from us. Diego stood right behind Toushiro with his gun aimed for his head. If the Japanese man tried anything risky, Diego would be there to keep things in line. The dark, blank look in Diego's eyes said he'd pull the trigger without hesitation. I didn't like seeing him this way. It was different than when he was alone with me.

"You mind if I light up, Mr. Masters?" Toushiro asked Vlad, taking out a packet of cigarettes that hadn't been confiscated from him. "It helps with the stress," was his excuse when Vlad raised an eyebrow at him.

"Very well," Vlad said, shrugging. He watched with poised, cat-like interest as Toushiro lit his cigarette and took a long, relaxing drag from it. As if they were mirrors of each other, Toushiro stared with just as much intent back at Vlad. It was like some kind of staring game they were silently playing with each other. The quiet intensity of it all made me beyond nervous.

"So why are we all here, Mr. Masters?" Toushiro finally asked. He leaned comfortably back in his seat and watched us with a dangerous gleam in his green eyes. While Toushiro looked like he was calm, I could see the calculating look on his stoic features. He was thinking and planning very quickly. He was in survival mode.

"Truthfully, I just needed you for Danny's sake," Vlad admitted, nodding toward me. "You see, he has very important information tucked away in that little brain of his. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find the right motivation for him to tell me all that he knows. But I think the threat of your life will cure him of his vow of silence. What do you think, Daniel? Ready to talk about your friend Taj Nice?"

Sighing in defeat, I slowly looked up and over to Vlad's face to meet his steely gaze. He had me in the palm of his hand again. And he knew it. I hated it.

"I'm not exactly sure where he is, actually," I began. "Like I said, we split up after we came back from the other world."

"Wait, Danny, you ran into Taj? How? When? You survived?" Toushiro blurted out the questions as he suddenly leaned forward. Surprise and shock was all over his face. This was all new to him. He still thought Taj was some dangerous criminal. I saw my chance to change his view and took it.

"Look, Taj is actually a nice kid," I quickly explained to Toushiro. "He's not a bad guy at all. All that stuff that happened back in Tokyo was one big misunderstanding. It wasn't his fault!"

"How do you know this?" Toushiro asked. He shot me a disbelieving smile, fighting against his logic and his faith in my character.

"That doesn't matter right now," Vlad butted into our conversation. He sounded aggravated with us as he ordered me, "Tell me where Taj is, Danny. Right now."

With only a short glance toward Vlad, I proceeded to ignore him as I told Toushiro, "I bumped into him when I was trying to escape. He's just this kid. He's hardly older than me. And he doesn't mean for his powers to act up. So you have to stop hunting him, okay?"

"Stop talking to him, boy," Vlad instructed me. His voice was cold and demanding. His hand on my shoulder squeezed tightly. The pain made me flinch, but I managed to keep my attention on Toushiro.

"Danny, this is a lot to take in," Toushiro said. He was straining hard to follow me, but there were a lot of holes in my quick story. If I had more time, I would have gone into detail, but time lately had striven to be against me. I'd have to do with a very short version of the past 24 hours and hope for the best.

"I know, and I'm sorry to dump all this on you right now, but you've got to believe me on this one, Toushiro," I said urgently.

"That's enough from the both of you," Vlad growled with impatience. I was getting too out of hand for his taste. To restore his control to the situation before it fully slipped out of his grip, Vlad snapped at Diego before cupping my chin in his free hand and turning my head toward him so that we were face to face. Out of the corner of my wide, fearful eye, I saw Diego grab the back of Toushiro's shirt as he rammed the end of his pistol against the man's head. Toushiro and Diego shared cold glares, equally perturbed with each other.

"Don't. Please, don't," I whispered to Vlad as I saw the scene turn vastly precarious.

"Look at me, Daniel, not him," Vlad commanded. "If you speak one more word to him, I will order Diego to shoot him. I'm tired of your rebelliousness. I won't take any more of it, boy. Stop straining my patience, or very soon it will snap."

The icy chill in his voice told me that my last chance was up. It was either do as I was told or suffer the consequences. Reluctantly, I locked my eyes with Vlad's. A shiver rushed down my spine. This reaction didn't go unnoticed. Seeing he was back in power, Vlad personally gave me a smug smirk.

"That's more like it," he said, content with my actions. "Now tell me where Taj Nice is."

A pang of guilt hit my stomach and traveled to my face in the form of a grimace as I admitted quietly, "He's probably in the next town we were heading for before you stopped us. We agreed to meet up there if we ever got separated."

"Perfect," Vlad said with a malicious grin. He pulled me closer, saying cheerfully, "Let's go pick up your friend."

"Wait. Now?" I asked as Vlad rose to his feet and used my cuff's chain to make me do the same.

Vlad laughed at my question as if I was being absurd. "Of course now," he said over his shoulder, quickly leading me out of the room. "What did you think I was going to do once I had the location of Nice? Wait till morning to capture him? Don't be stupid, my dear boy."

"But...Toushiro. What are you going to do with him?"

"He'll be tied up like the others," Vlad answered without looking back at me. He was a man on a mission. Nothing I'd say would be able to stop him now. "When Diego and his men are finished with that, they will join us. Aleksey and my other half will manage the ranch while we're gone. I'm bringing you with us for insurance incase Taj refuses to cooperate. We're a little bit behind schedule, but at least now we're on the right track thanks to you, Daniel."

We were passing through the kitchen then. The man only paused to grab a towel and a bottle of water off a counter before moving on. Vlad practically had to drag me along by my cuffs through the room and out the back door. There were a few vehicles waiting for us outside with drivers already in them. We quickly got into the back seat of an SUV, Vlad gave the driver directions, and then we were officially on our way. It all happened so fast, I didn't have time to think about what had happened until we were five minutes down the road.

Releasing a fretful sigh, I leaned forward while running a hand through my hair. My stress was making me one frazzled body of wound up nerves. This was bad. What was I going to do?

"Would you prefer some water?" Vlad suddenly asked, offering the bottle for me to take.

I stiffened, snapping my head around to look up at the man. "Are you freaking serious?" I asked him in total disbelief.

"I simply thought you'd be thirsty," Vlad said. His falsely offended tone suggested he was teasing me. I didn't appreciate it. Not one bit. It just pissed me off that I was being toyed with.

Glaring heatedly at the man, I snatched the bottle out of his hand before chucking it at his face. Vlad awkwardly caught the bottle before it hit him. He didn't look surprised. If anything, he was enjoying himself as he wore a cunning, calculating smile that only got on my nerves. What made it worse was knowing I was going to have to spend the next few hours sitting next to the mad man. It was going to be pure torture.

"Tell me, Daniel. How did you get out of that closet?" Vlad wanted to know.

"Make me," I spat back in my anger. It was probably the wrong thing to say to Vlad, but I felt like being difficult. Trying to simmer down before my temper got me in trouble, I turned away from Vlad and glared out the dark window. Instantly, the anger left me and a deep sense of regret replaced the feeling. I felt sick and terribly alone.

Vlad deliberately moved so he sat right beside me. He watched me for a few minutes, studying my frowning face and my angry posture. Hopelessly, I waited for him to say something. I didn't want to talk to this man anymore, but I had no choice.

"You're impressive," Vlad finally said.

Although his statement was sort of surprising, I didn't look at him or visually reacted at all. Instead, I retorted sarcastically, "Great. You know adjectives. Good to know you passed 5th grade. I was worried there for a second."

"I think it's your caustic remarks that hold you back," Vlad said half jokingly.

"I don't want to talk to you right now, Vlad, okay?" I grumbled, shifting away from the man. Vlad said nothing. He only watched and listened as I rubbed my face with a hand and sighed, "I just...I just want time to think."

Vlad opened his mouth to say something, but he paused when his eyes caught something he hadn't noticed before. He quickly grabbed my wrist with the watch on it, brought it close to his face, and asked, "What happened to your watch? Its glass surface is cracked."

"Ask your uncle," I said. "He's the one who slammed the stupid thing against the table when I was trying to get out of there. Hurt like hell, just so you know. I bet that makes you happy, huh?"

Vlad's stare lingered on me, searching for something in my face and voice. "You're hiding something," he resolved before returning his attention to the watch face. He twisted the broken surface around to unlock it, sending tendrils of pain up my arm. I pressed my lips together to fight the stings, but Vlad noticed my discomfort.

"Does that hurt?" he asked.

"Just a little."

"Interesting."

"What? Is it a good interesting or a bad one?"

"I don't know yet," Vlad answered, chuckling at my curiosity. "I'm finding that out now. Hold still." He pressed in the watch face and agony instantly burst through my body. It only lasted a second, but it left me gasping for breath against Vlad's shoulder. I came close to passing out. Maybe I should have let the darkness come over me. It would save me the long trip with Vlad.

"Are you alright?" He sounded almost concerned, but I knew otherwise. He didn't care.

"I feel awesome," I hissed through a grimace, "Can't you tell?"

Vlad's eyes rolled skyward before he went back to his inspection. I knew what was coming, so I prepared my argument in my head as I waited for Vlad to figure out I had gained my invisibility power. The man knew I was nervous about what he'd find. Sometimes he'd glance at me, wondering what I was keeping a secret.

Finally, he found it. I knew it the second his eyebrows lowered together and his lips twitched into a pensive frown. "You can go invisible," he sighed in aggravation.

"What? No I can't!" I lied with a dubious scoff. This was a pointless distraction.

Snapping his head to look at me, Vlad sneered into my face, "If you want to lie, Danny, at least take the time to make it convincing."

"Fine. I can go invisible. What are you going to do about it?" I said with a contemptuous smile. I put it there just to piss off Vlad. From the stern scowl on his face, I knew it was working. "You gonna beat me up for a mistake your twisted uncle made? It's not my fault he doesn't know his own strength."

"No. I won't punish you for what Aleksey did."

"Good."

"But I better not catch you turning invisible," he warned.

"Or you'll do what?" I jeered.

"Use your imagination," Vlad spat back with sudden animosity. It frightened me into silence. Seeing that he had subdued my obstinate teenage attitude, Vlad looked back to my watch, searched around for a few minutes, then returned it back to normal.

A yelp of pain escaped me when my body stiffened with a flash of agony. Closing my eyes and groaning through the pain, I sat back as Vlad wrapped his arm around my shoulders. For a second I had a flashback to the previous year when I was in Tokyo with Vlad. We had to pretend to be father and son for Katsumi the entire trip, so he had always been very "fatherly" to me then. I now wondered how much of that was an act. How long was I going to have to fight till he got the message I would never be his?

"You really do smell. It's revolting."

Opening my eyes, I said, "I know. I totally need a shower. A nice, warm shower."

"Here's a towel in the meantime." Vlad dropped a towel into my lap and waited for me to use it. As I wiped the layers of sweat, mud, and dust off my skin the best I could, he said in a light tone, "When we get back, you can take that shower. A long one. You definitely need it. Just throw the towel out the window. I don't want that detestable thing in here all night."

Shrugging, I muttered while shoving the towel out my window, "I guess you can add littering to your long list of evil deeds. I should have expected this one."

"Your sarcasm is darling."

"It's all part of my winning personality."

"Charming, I'm sure."

"You see, I tried being a mean, grumpy fruitloop like you, but it couldn't even attract my best friend's wife," I said with a faultless smile. "It was really bad. So I'm trying a new thing."

An acrid smile crossed Vlad's features as he shook his head and released a jaundiced chuckle. His grip on my shoulder tightened uncomfortably, but I couldn't keep the satisfied grin off my face. That was one more point for me. I'd take these points whenever I could. They'd add up at some point.

"At least I'm not the one crawling through ventilation shafts and smelling like a vagabond," he muttered to make himself feel better after that burn.

"Yeah. Sure," I blew him off with the wave of my hand. "And it wasn't a ventilation shaft, just so you know."

"Then what was it?"

I stared ahead, thinking about what would happen if I ever did tell Vlad how I got out. He was going to pester me till I told him anyways, and I really couldn't find too many cons to revealing my escape story. I might has well get it over with. At least then we'd have nothing to talk about and I'd be free from conversation.

"It was the crawl space between the two floors," I said quietly. There was a pause between us. I glanced over to Vlad to see he was unsure of the truth in my statement.

"You're serious," he said with a shrewd smile. "How did you ever fit through that hole?"

"Lotion."

"Lotion?"

"There were boxes of it for guests in the closet."

"You're quite resourceful, I see," he chuckled. I didn't know how to take the expression he then gave me. It was a special mix of pride and intrigue aimed specifically for me. It made me look away in apprehension.

Sighing in my tiredness to keep a yawn from creeping through, I muttered, "Or maybe I was just being stupid and desperate. It didn't get me anywhere in the end. I could have spent that time doing something better."

"Like what?"

"Like planning or sleeping or something. Anything. I'm so tired."

"That's true," Vlad said, pulling me closer to him so that I was warmly nestled under his shoulder. Although I didn't like being so close to the man, I let myself relax. The worst of the car ride was over. There was nothing left for me to do besides try and catch up on some sleep so I could think straight when we got to Taj. I really hoped that kid was okay...or _would be_ okay. I was too sleepy to worry about it too much.

Closing my eyes, I asked, "Vlad?"

"What is it?"

"What do you want with Taj?" I couldn't help but ask. I had never once asked him this question. It was because I knew he'd never answer me. And if he did, it probably wouldn't be very truthful. He'd tell me in due time, though. I was sure of it.

"You'll see, Daniel," Vlad said, lightly patting my shoulder.

"I knew you were going to say that," I grumbled around a sleepy yawn. I didn't get to hear Vlad's answer if he had one. The hum of the car engine combined with Vlad's comforting embrace made a perfect setting for me and my worn body to drift asleep. I was out in seconds.

Hours later, I woke up in a cold sweat, gasping for breath as horrible memories of my latest nightmare still rolled around in my head. It was like I'd broken the surface of water after almost drowning the way I came to. Disorientation gripped me for a second as my mind fought to differentiate between the real world and the dream one. Running a hand through my hair, I leaned forward and away from Vlad to calm down my frazzled emotions and body. The nightmare had been one of the worst ones so far.

"Nightmare?" Vlad asked, a smirk in his tone.

Breathing deeply through my nose, I said with gritted teeth, "How'd you guess?"

"Good," Vlad said. "That means we're very close." He patted my shoulder, saying tauntingly, "You're an excellent tracker, Daniel. Good job."

I was about to tell the man to burn in the special place underground made just for him for when he died, but the SUV had arrived at the designated town. Checking my watch, I saw that I had been out for at least 5 hours and it was nearing 11 in the morning. At this time in the day, the small town was awake, but it was lazy and dusty. When you're stationed out in the middle of nowhere in the jungle, I guess there's not much for you to do.

The few shops there by the side of the main road were open and serving a handful of quiet and tired customers. There was a little snack stand, a fly-infested outhouse, a mechanic shop with dirty tires sitting all around it, and a tourist restaurant that was practically empty except for a man sipping from a coke bottle on the front porch. Taj wasn't in sight, but I knew he was there.

The SUV and truck with Diego and his men in it parked in front of the restaurant. Vlad quickly got out, dragging me with him. He kept a tight grip on my arm just incase I got the stupid notion to run. I won't lie. I entertained the idea for a second or two but soon moved on to other plans of escape. The short hours of sleep had cleared my head just enough to think straight.

"You're the expert here, Diego," Vlad said with a thin smile. I was surprised Vlad would give someone that much credit. If Diego felt the same way as me, he didn't show it, naturally. He was impassive as he stood next to us, checking the safety lock on his pistol. "What do you suggest we do to coax Mr. Nice out of hiding?"

"That is what you would call a last resort," Diego told his employer. "My men can find him if he's here. He has probably seen us by now if he was waiting for Danny. It is better if my men quietly capture the child. You do not want to cause alarm, I assume."

"Indeed," Vlad said with a dubious lift of his chin. "Fine, then. Go ahead and find the boy. I'm trusting in the fact that you know what you're doing."

Diego nodded before throwing his hand into the air and twirling it around while giving a loud whistle. His team seemed to know what this meant as they split up as if they did this kind of thing every day. As they went off to hunt for Taj, Vlad brought me into the screened-in restaurant and sat us down at one of the plastic tables to wait.

Even without the blistering heat and humidity, I was sweating buckets. My stomach had twisted into a nervous knot, and I couldn't keep still as I repeatedly tapped the table with my fingers and looked around. I didn't have much time to plot my next move, but I plotted anyways.

Vlad was quiet and calculating although he tried to appear indifferent in front of me. He leaned back in his uncomfortable seat, arms crossed, and a small frown drew down the corners of his mouth. The only time he moved was when he was swatting away a pesky fly that had managed to find a way through the protecting screen. From time to time he'd glance at me, but he kept his eyes moving like mine. This was a serious, pivotal moment. We both knew it.

It took 12 minutes for Diego to find Taj. I knew this because I couldn't help but repeatedly look at my watch the entire time they were gone.

The men burst through the restaurant swinging door quicker than expected, making me jump in surprise. Twisting my head around, I watched as two men held a muddy and struggling Taj between them and easily dragged him toward our table. He was terrified. His wide-eyed stare was like one of a caged, wild rabbit or a cornered cat. Another pang of guilt shot through me. I had caused all this mess.

Diego led his group to the table, motioning his men to present their employer with his prize. Taj was roughly shoved toward the table. He winced when he collided ungracefully into it and stumbled backwards to catch is bearings. Gulping down his fear and trembling uncontrollably, Taj glanced over to me with a weak smile of greeting. I grimly returned the expression. He understood my position, yet I still felt sick with guilt for ratting him out. Hopefully, my next plan would remedy it all.

"So this is the infamous Taj Nice," Vlad drawled with a devious grin, raking his steely eyes up and down Taj's quivering form. "How old are you, boy?"

"S-s-seventeen," Taj answered truthfully.

I was hardly paying attention as my mind was working in overdrive. Distraction. I needed a distraction. Slowly, I put my hands into my pockets in hopes of finding something that would work. All I had was half a bottle of lotion and a gum wrapper with pre-chewed, melting gum in it. Not much to work with.

Meanwhile, Vlad leaned forward in his chair, placing his elbows on the table as he asked Taj, "Do you know who I am, Mr. Nice?"

"Y-yes," Taj said, attempting a nod. "Y-you're Vlad Masters."

"Good," Vlad said, his grin widening. I pitied Taj to be the receiver of that haunting expression. It's scary as heck. "So we can skip all the introductions and move straight to the point. You by now know I want you for your marvelous power. Now, I assume you're a smart boy, Taj. You've alluded me and so many others for years. You must know by now that I won't let you escape so easily. To make sure you don't harbor any thoughts of running away, I'm using Danny's well being as assurance. Understand?"

Before Taj could stutter an answer, I made my move.

"I sure do, cheese head," I growled at Vlad, whipping out the bottle of lotion. I wrapped both my hands around the container and squeezed with all my might, aiming the opening for Vlad's face. The rest of the warm, slimy contents of the bottle splattered into Vlad's eyes, successfully making him blind for the next few seconds.

Spinning around, I threw the empty bottle at a surprised Diego before quickly ducking under the table. Diego caught the bottle, but he was distracted just long enough to not give an order to his men. It was just a few seconds I needed. Nothing more. Nothing less.

From underneath the table, I shouted at Taj, "Get down!" He quickly complied, dropping to the floor like an expert as I threw the plastic table at the briefly befuddled Diego and his men. It didn't hurt them or anything, but the cumbersome thing got in all their way as they had to stumble back to avoid getting hit by the large piece of furniture.

Narrowly avoiding one of Vlad's swipes for me, I rushed forward, grabbed Taj by the forearm, and turned both of us invisible. As we took off for a back door, I whispered to him, "Stick close and don't let go of me!"

The use of invisibility was draining me, but I easily pushed through the feeling as Taj and I sprinted out of the restaurant and through the hot, sticky town. I'd already plotted the escape route before making my daring move, so I didn't pause while running straight for the lone, smelly outhouse.

We hardly fit into the stuffy bathroom, but we managed to squeeze inside. The smell hit our noses hard, but I couldn't care at this point. Once there, I dropped the invisibility and leaned against the wall to recoup. I closed my eyes, gasping greedily for breath as I tried not to barf from the engulfing horrible smell. Taj did the same, holding one hand over his heart as if to steady its rapid beating.

"You're crazy, Danny," Taj finally whispered, shooting me his regular timid smile.

"I know," I quietly chuckled. "I still can't believe I just did that and got away with it."

"Are you sure we're okay staying here?"

"No. We have to keep moving." I paused, the smile vanishing from my face as reality sunk in. "Oh, man," I sighed. "Vlad is gonna be so pissed with me. Ah, what else is new?"

"Danny?"

"Hm?"

"Would Vlad actually sh-shoot you to hold onto me?"

I stared at Taj, weighing the question in my head. It was one I had recently asked myself millions of times. So far I'd come up with an answer, but it wasn't near to being concrete. I really hoped there would never be a time I'd have to prove it.

"He wouldn't kill me," I said quietly, "but he wouldn't hesitate to hurt me. Badly." Taj's face blanched at this news, but I was quick to tell him, "If it ever comes to a decision between your freedom and my health, Taj, I don't want you to be a hero. Pick freedom. Don't feel bad about it."

"Danny, I-."

He stopped with a bemused frown when I cut him off by placing a finger against my lips in the universal signal for silence. Awkwardly turning myself around in the tiny space, I placed my face against the wooden paneled side of the outhouse to peek through one of the slots between the wood. No soul could be seen out there except the vehicle drivers protecting their cars.

"Alright, let's go. I'm dying from the nasty stink in here," I said to Taj. "Let's cross the road. I'm sure less of Diego's men will be on that side looking for us, so I won't have to stay invisible." Taj nodded. He liked this idea.

We held hands as we snuck out of the horrible smelling bathroom and I activated my one and only power. Swift as we could, we ran across the gravel road, trying hard not to make too much noise. While we were invisible, Diego and his men weren't deaf. They'd find us for sure if they could hear our footsteps.

The jungle welcomed Taj and I with open arms. We jogged for a few more minutes before I decided to turn us visible. It was hard keeping invisible with the watch still on. While it let me use the power, it still felt like I was fighting constantly with my human side to keep it going. Invisibility would have to be used sparingly in the future.

But at the moment I didn't care how hard it was to use the power. It had bought us freedom...for now, at least.

A/N: I actually didn't plan that last escape scene until just the other day when I was in the middle of writing the chapter. Sometimes the characters just do things on their own, and I can't really stop them. But it was fun to write! Overall, this chapter was awesome 'cause I got to use like all my characters! Except for Aleksey. Ah well. He had his fair share last chapter.

With school starting up again, I might not get much time to write, but I still want to update every weekend. So the chapters might go back to being really short again these next few weeks, but I'd rather have that then update every two weeks. So I'll see you guys next week! Have a good one!


	20. Chapter 20 Never Stop Fighting

A/N: Yeah. I know this is a little late in the weekend, but it still works. Late is better than nothing, in my opinion. And I still have a pretty long chapter, so that's awesome! I was expecting it would be really short, but I found time! It's a miracle! Anyways, enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: Nothing. Absolutely nothing! (Except those OC's. You know who they are!)

Chapter 20 Never Stop Fighting

"That was almost too easy," Taj said as we kept a steady jogging pace through the jungle.

"Exactly what I was thinking," I said with a wary sigh.

"You think they'll find us again?"

"Maybe. I didn't tell Vlad anything about your plans, so he doesn't know where we'll be heading. There's still a chance we could run into him, though."

"Do you know what he plans to do with me?"

Alarmed, I glanced over at my friend. The scared, panicked look on his face said he was near an anxiety attack. Poor guy. "Honestly, dude, I don't know," I finally answered. "Just something evil, I'm sure. Really evil. That's like Vlad's thing: evilness."

"That man scares me, Danny," Taj admitted. "I don't know how you do it."

"Do what?"

"Put up with him," Taj said, giving me an impressed glance. "You were sitting next to him as if it was something you did all the time. I couldn't even think straight when he was staring at me like that, and yet you somehow planned a whole escape and carried it out."

Smiling at the horrible irony in that statement, I shrugged and said half jokingly, "Experience is key. I guess years of that fruitloop's crap has finally trained me to-."

_BAM!_

White, hot pain erupted through my thigh as the echo from the pistol shot faded away. Confusion hit me only a second after the pain. Crying out, I stumbled to my hands and knees on the jungle floor. Wincing back the pain, I studied my wound. It looked like the bullet had just grazed my thigh, but boy did it hurt like hell!

"Gah! Crap!" I shouted, slamming an angry fist against the dirt. This was gonna make escape ten times harder now; not to mention my leg was in agony.

Taj dropped to his knees beside me, placing a hand on my shoulder as he hissed in a rush, "Come on! You got to get back up! They're coming!"

"Help me up!" I gasped.

Taj did as he was told. With a firm grip, he hauled me to my feet and let me use his body as a crutch as we stumbled along. The teen was stronger than I thought he was. We moved pretty fast for a handicapped team, but it was ultimately useless against an ambush.

Hands sprung out from around a wide tree we were passing, grabbing me by my shoulder and shirt. Another pair of hands had seized Taj. We let out yelps of shock as we were ripped apart. With a sinking heart, I watched as Taj was dragged away from me and back the way he had just came by a swarm of men. Taj had no chance against them, yet he struggled the best he could.

"No!" I screamed in distraught. "Dammit! Lemme go!"

It wasn't fair! We had just escaped! Every, single time I managed to get ahead, it was like the universe was there ready to knock me back down with a big boot in my face. I was sick of it! I had to fight back tears of frustration as defeat weighed like heavy rocks on my shoulders.

"It's over, Danny," Diego told me, calm and stern as always. He had me closely pinned against his chest so that I couldn't move. Every time I tried to wiggle free, I met resistance.

"No! You don't freaking understand!" I shouted with strain in my voice. Panic bubbled through my brain and throughout my body. "He'll be pissed! Vlad's gonna skin me alive! And he's gonna use Taj as his new favorite lab rat! You have to let me go!"

"Danny."

"Just...just let me go!" I pleaded with the man. I felt desperate. I felt like a child. The emotions swirled in a crazed frenzy inside my head, threatening to spill forth at any moment. With effort, I kept them inside me.

"Stop struggling." Unwillingly, I ceased my squirming. Leaning my head back against his chest, I closed my eyes and swore in aggravation. "I was ordered to shoot you," Diego said placidly. "Let me see your wound. You might need stitches right away. You don't want an infection." It was the closest to an apology he was going to give me.

Once he checked my leg and confirmed I needed it at least cleaned out, Diego lifted me up into his arms and carried me back to the town. The other men were cuffing Taj when we got there. Diego shouted an order at one of them in Spanish as we passed by and entered the restaurant.

I was placed on my back on one of the tables. When Diego ripped my bloody pant leg open so he could get to the wound easier, I cringed and writhed against the table. How did I become such a magnet for pain? First that margay forest spirit thing eating my shoulder, then those bad cops at that station, and now a grazing bullet wound. Sooner or later, my luck was going to run out or my bad luck was going to take over and I was going to wind up dead.

As someone brought in a first aid kit, Vlad walked into my line of sight. I glared up at him but remained silent. There was nothing to say. Nothing from me could sway him or change his mind. He wasn't worth my energy.

He stared down at me blankly for a full minute before simply asking, "Are you satisfied, boy?"

"I should be asking you that same question. A little over the top, weren't you, Vlad? Ordering Diego to shoot me was a little unnecessary, you know," I spat back. Suddenly, alcohol was poured all over my wound. Sitting straight up, I shouted, "Gah! Crap! That hurts!"

"Please hold him down, señor," Diego said, nodding to me when I tried moving away from his cotton swab.

Placing a hand on my chest and roughly shoving me back onto my back, Vlad leaned over me and said in a sneer, "Of course it was necessary. I wanted to prove a point to both you and Taj, and you so generously gave me the perfect opportunity. I hope you learned your lesson."

"You know I'll keep trying to escape," I boldly stated.

"Don't play coy with me," Vlad laughed right into my face. His laugh wasn't light or happy. It was harsh, mocking me at the very core of my being. "I know how you act. You won't leave without Taj. Oh, no, you're too good to leave him behind. And even on the off chance that you do become desperate enough, I can always threaten you with Toushiro's life." We were nose to nose as he concluded in triumphant fashion, "So you see, my boy, I control your every move. From this moment forward, any misbehaving actions will result in disagreeable ramifications. Consequences, Daniel. It's about time you meditate on them. Unless you want one of your friends dead, of course. Then by all means, pull a stunt like this last one again. I won't mind."

Mouth sealed shut with fear and eyes fully showing my concern and frustration, I stared back into Vlad's face. I read his expressions to the best of my abilities, regrettably coming to the conclusion that he was telling the truth. If that was so, my next escape plan needed to be flawless.

Suddenly growing bored of me, Vlad ordered Diego sharply, "Gag him and put him in the back of the truck with the other one. We'll head back to the ranch, recoup, then proceed to phase two."

Without looking up from wrapping gauze around my thigh, Diego nodded. This seemed to satisfy Vlad. He threw me one last glance before leaving. It was odd. Usually he enjoyed torturing me a little more than that. What was up with him?

Shifting up onto my elbows, I watched Vlad trek back to the SUV. The man looked tired as he walked to the vehicle and rubbed the back of his sore neck as he got in. I didn't notice it till then, probably because he was doing well to hide it, but all this staying up all night, planning ahead, and splitting himself in two was taking its toll on Vlad. Like me, or any other human for that matter, Vlad needed his rest. And if Vlad could be vulnerable like a regular human, he was beatable.

I still had some chances of winning this.

During the ride back to the ranch, I sat next to Taj. Gagged with a bandana, I couldn't exactly communicate with my scared friend. Besides, Diego sat across from Taj and I and used the entire trip to lock his steady gaze on the pair of us. If I actually could have said something, he'd probably go ahead and shoot my foot off. So silence it was.

By midday, I was a melting body of aches and pain and Taj was a ball of nerves. Every injury I'd managed to acquire the past week was competing for attention. Each second I was forced to sit in that vibrating, uncomfortable truck bed with the savage, blazing sun endlessly beating against me was a kind of torture I wasn't normally used to. No mind tricks or play on emotions were involved. It was just having to sit there with a dull, constant pain attacking you. There was no relief, and it was about to drive me completely bonkers. My endurance and pain thresholds were being pushed to their limits; every minute was another grueling test to see how long I could make it.

Taj was going through a different kind of torture. The kid was near a panic attack at the top of every minute. Every one of his muscles were tense. Different parts of his body twitched with anxiety at intervals. Just looking at him and I could tell he was processing and reprocessing his situation unremittingly.

Couldn't blame him, really. He was captured by an evil mad man with a promise of pain in his mysterious but unfortunate future. There were plenty of things to freak out about. Taj was by nature a worry-wort. It was no surprise he looked like he was going crazy with stress.

Feeling it was necessary, I reached over with my cuffed hands and placed one on Taj's forearm reassuringly. He jumped in surprise at the touch, but he quickly calmed down and looked over at me in question. Shrugging with fake calm, I patted his arm before taking it away. He needed to chill...or at least worry at a lower intensity level.

Taj got the message. He released a heavy sigh through his gag, pulled his knees up so that he could rest his forehead on them, and closed his eyes. It took him awhile, but soon Taj was breathing regularly as he seemed to be meditating in his own odd way.

The hours slowly passed, each one just as miserable as the last. Eventually, I was lulled into a kind of trance. It was dehydration, really. In that kind of heat for so many hours without any drop of water or food, it wasn't surprising I suffered from that on top of my other problems.

We arrived at the ranch around 5 in the afternoon. I was almost relieved when the sight of the familiar building came into view. I was so hot, sweaty, and exhausted that any place with air conditioning and the promise of a glass of water would delight me.

Diego and his men escorted Taj and I out of the truck and into the house through the front entrance. Vlad told the men where to take Taj, and I had to helplessly watch as they dragged my friend up the stairs and out of sight. I hoped Vlad wasn't planning to starve the guy. Hopefully he took good care of his lab rats.

Vlad motioned for Diego and I to follow him up to my room. This surprised me. I would have thought Vlad would send his best hired man to look after Taj; not babysit me. My room was the same as when I left it. The only difference was that the sheets were replaced on the bed since the ones I'd used to escape. I stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, not knowing exactly what to do with both Diego and Vlad with me.

"You can sit and relax for now, Diego," Vlad told the man, absently waving to the small armchair in the corner by the window. As Diego eased into the cool leather seat, Vlad turned to me with instructions.

"Take a shower, Danny, get into some clean clothes, and then rest up. We have much to discuss tomorrow," he said as he untied my gag and threw it aside.

"I can't - gah!" I choked and winced at my weak voice. My throat was as dry and scratchy as sandpaper. I had to clear it before starting a second time. "I can't sleep with Taj so near, remember?"

"Of course I do," Vlad said quietly, reaching out to take my forearm. Instinctively, I jerked away from his grasp, but he caught me anyways. As he pulled out the key to my cuffs and unlocked them, he said, "You won't have to worry about that tonight, though."

"Why?"

With distinct _clicks_, Vlad unlocked the cuffs and pulled them away. The sensation of freedom suddenly around my wrists briefly pulled my attention to them. It felt good to rub my sore wrists after nearly 24 hours of running around with the handcuffs limiting them.

Placing his hand on the side of my face in a rather tender manner, Vlad kneeled so that he was at my eye level. "Don't worry about it," he assured me with a tight, tired smile. He reached out to the end of my bed, grabbed a clean towel laid there by a maid, and placed it in my arms, saying soothingly, "Here's your towel. Now go take your shower. I need to talk privately to Diego."

I paused, closing my eyes with a sigh. Vlad always made me so confused when he acted this way. I could understand and deal with cruel and scary Vlad. Nice and fatherly Vlad? Not so much. The only thing I could do at this point was keep resisting.

Shoving his hand away and avoiding eye contact, I muttered halfheartedly, "Don't pretend you care, Vlad. You had your chance, and you blew it." Even as I said this, I was complying to his demands as I grabbed new clothes out of my suitcase and headed for the bathroom.

Shutting the door behind me, the first thing I did was get a cup and fill it at the sink. Water never tasted so good as I chugged at least 5 cups of the stuff down before hopping into the shower. At first I blasted cold water to cool myself off, but after five minutes of that I turned it back to warm and began the long, rigorous process of scrubbing myself clean. I probably went through half a bottle of shampoo and an entire bar of soap to get myself spotless. The results were worth it, though. I hoped never to be that smelly ever again.

I'd been looking forward to that shower for a long time, but with the warm water running down my body and finding myself completely alone, the expected feeling of relief didn't come. Instead, a real emptiness gripped my chest, squeezing it so hard that it ached. Everything just felt so hopeless at this point. Then the dreaded questions crept inside me, tearing at and preying on my emotions until I felt raw and void. Tears mixed with the shower water as I stood desolately under the constant spray.

What was I going to do? Was my only future one with Vlad? Would I ever escape him? Was this going to be the rest of my life? Was I going to have to struggle and fight for everything that ever mattered to me in life? Would I ever win?

Just for once I wanted to win against that man! Not only win, but I wanted my life back! He was stealing it all away from me even as I stood there motionlessly in the shower. The stakes of not winning this current battle were so high, I didn't know what I'd do with myself if I lost this one.

With sudden horror, I realized that losing this battle meant I could actually break. Even then I felt so fragile and alone. If I lost, I didn't want to know what state that would drive me to. I needed this win. I needed it so badly. Not only were Taj's and Toushiro's lives were on the line, but so was mine. My very existence, my way of life and everything I strove to protect and believe in, was being questioned and tested here. Losing now would mean losing the very core of my being. I'd never be the same. Even at that moment, I felt like a changed person. I wasn't the same Danny Fenton or Phantom I was when I first arrived in Ecuador.

My pity party only lasted for a few minutes before I managed to pick up the pieces and found the waning strength inside me to carry on. If I wanted to keep my life, I was going to have to suck it up and fight. Not only would I have to fight, but I was going to have to be at the top of my game. I might even need to break some of my own rules and get dirty. If Vlad was so willing to hurt me, I had to be fully prepared to fight back with that much force. In this battle, nothing could be sacred.

Vlad wasn't going to go down easily, so I couldn't let my guard down or ever give up. I was going to keep pushing forward. It wasn't my only option, but it was the only option I knew was right. If I did anything differently at this point, it would mean that Vlad had won already. I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of that kind of victory. Not ever.

The shower lasted longer than expected. It was at least an hour before I got myself cleaned and calmed down. Wrinkled like a raisin, I hopped out of the shower, dried myself off, and put on some clean clothes. They were some of the best smelling clothes I'd ever put on. For one rare second, I mentally thanked my mom for washing every piece of clothing I owned before my "vacation".

Afterwards, I took the initiative of patching myself up by getting the med kit out from under the sink. Careful not to break open my newest wound, I replaced the gauze and padding around my thigh then moved on to cleaning my shoulder cut and inspecting the damage from the margay bite. I even put some band aids on the rather bigger cuts I'd gotten when squeezing through the vent openings. I liked taking care of myself like this. It didn't hurt as much as when Vlad did it, and I felt more responsible and grown up this way. I was taking care of myself and doing a decent job of it too.

When I was finished, I hesitated at the door. I was sick of seeing Vlad. I didn't want to have to deal with him. Then again, I couldn't just hide out in the bathroom all night.

Sighing my annoyance away, I opened the door and braced myself for what I thought was to come. When the room was empty except for a sleepy looking Diego still sitting in the same armchair from when I left, I allowed myself a small smile of relief. At least I wouldn't have to deal with Vlad. That was good.

"Where's Vlad?" I asked Diego, not willing to leave the bathroom doorway until I got my answer.

"He's not here," Diego answered ambiguously.

"Not here as in not in this room? Or not here as in not on the ranch anymore?" I asked.

"He's not in this room."

"Fine."

That settled, I walked into the room. I was just putting my dirty clothes into a plastic bag so they wouldn't stink up the place when Diego suddenly asked, "How did you vanish back at the restaurant?" Startled by this kind of question, I stopped and looked up at him curiously. He was blank faced, but that was only because of practice.

"Vlad never told you about me, did he?" I said, trying to gauge my babysitter's emotions. He was trying hard not to show anything, but just by knowing that he was hiding his true feelings I knew that he felt something.

"No. I never asked."

"But you're asking now? Why? Why ask me and not Vlad?"

Diego's face was unchanging as he stated again, "You ask too many questions."

"You only say that because I'm asking the hard questions," I growled back. "Questions you don't want to answer. And if you really want to know how I can turn invisible, it's because I'm half ghost. You want any more than that, then ask me. Got it?"

The man did nothing but stare at me and slowly chew his gum. I stared back, almost willing Diego to say something. Anything. He didn't seem like a really bad guy, but at the rate he was going, he wouldn't stay that way. If he didn't start having doubts about his career choice with Vlad soon, I was afraid that I'd have to hurt him if I had to to win. I didn't want it to get come to that point.

In the end, I gave up on him again, sighed in defeat, and went back to tying my gross clothes in the plastic bag. I shouldn't have taken my eyes off that man.

My mind was so preoccupied with what was going on and what I needed to do, I didn't even notice Diego had moved from his spot till it was way too late. His shadow enveloped mine. It was the only warning before something small and sharp pierced my neck. With growing alarm and pain, I could feel the liquid in the needle push its way into my body.

"Crap," I hissed is dismay, falling onto one knee as the chemicals quickly kicked in. Whatever Diego had injected me with was powerful and intrusive. It attacked my body and mind, weakening them to the core to the point where I could hardly move or think straight.

"What...what did you do?" I gasped with effort from my miserable spot on the floor.

Diego wrapped my arm around his shoulders and hoisted me to my feet as he calmly said, "My employer ordered me to give you what was in the hypodermic needle. He said it would put you to sleep and prevent bad dreams. He fears you will make chaos if you were left awake."

"Damn right, I would," I managed to mumble through my clouding head. Every second was a struggle to say conscious as my head spun farther into oblivion. It was an impossible battle to win, though.

Diego shook his head, releasing a smile smile as he dragged me over to my bed and set me down on it. I groaned in anger. It was the only thing I could do as I regrettably realized my night full of planning was getting stolen from me. No matter how much I wanted to stay awake and alert, my body was succumbing to Vlad's drug.

I hated feeling so powerless.

Just as I drifted off to a dark, dreamless sleep, I remember Diego gently placing his hand on my forehead and brushing the hair out of my face. He probably thought I was asleep by then. His last words echoed in my head all night as they were whispered in secret support. They were all I had in that endless void.

_"Debe nunca de parar de luchar"_

A/N: You know, when I first created Diego, he wasn't supposed to have this much attention. Then his character just kinda stuck with me, I created a whole backstory for him (which I will probably never write about in this fic), and now he's turning into one of those semi good/bad guys. Not sure where I'm going with him, but I think I've done enough development with him so far that whatever I chose to do will matter to you readers. And I'm totally rambling. I blame this dumb head cold making me all loopy. Anyways, I'll be back next weekend with another chapter. See you guys then and thanks for the reviews!


	21. Chapter 21 A Precarious Breakfast

A/N: Goodness, this habit of updating on late Sundays is a bad one. Still, it can't really be helped with the busy monster destroying the town of time in the universe of my life. And it's a long-ish chapter, so that's good! Not much action, but I've been wanting to write this chapter for a long time 'cause the interesting Vlad and Danny interactions. Anyways, enjoy the chapter and thanks for all your reviews!

Disclaimer: Yeah...I don't own anything from the show.

Chapter 21 A Precarious Breakfast

Releasing a groggy groan, I was slammed into a confusing consciousness. My head swam from multiple hours of undisturbed sleep, and my body was still pretty unresponsive from whatever drug Vlad had given me. Flopping a numb hand over my face to rub the sleep away, I willed my head to clear with a heavy sigh.

It took a few minutes for me to actually sit up in my bed. Shoulders slumped in glumness, I glanced around the room. By the bright light shining through my window I knew it had to be morning or maybe even the afternoon. I had no clue what day it was.

"Man...how long was I out?" I muttered to myself.

"About 18 hours," Diego answered.

Jumping in surprise, I slowly turned to look to my side where Diego had moved the armchair. He now sat right next to the bed. Such a good babysitter.

"I feel like crap," I told him in a muzzy voice.

Diego said nothing. Like a cow lethargically chewing its cud, the man worked on his piece of gum as he did nothing but stare at me blank faced. Typical.

"My morning is going great. Thanks for asking, Diego," I said with absentminded sarcasm. Holding my dizzy head, I ventured off the bed. Before Diego could ask, I muttered, "I gotta pee." That satisfied him. He said nothing as I stumbled off in the direction of the bathroom and did my business.

Opening the door to the bathroom when I was done, I had to step back in surprise when Diego was standing there at the entrance waiting for me. Still a bit fuzzy headed, I pointed at him and slurred, "Someone should put a bell on you, dude."

"My employer wants to talk to you in the living room downstairs," Diego told me.

"No. Not Vlad," I complained like a kid whining about an unwanted nap. "I'm sick of seeing his stupid fruitloop face."

"These were orders."

"And what if I refuse to go?" I asked with a rebellious smirk.

"I make you," was Diego's pithy answer.

"You're not kidding."

"I'm not."

"Fine," I sighed in defeat, my shoulders deflating like a popped balloon. "Let's get this over with."

Without another word, Diego escorted me out of the room, down the stairs, and to the main living room where Vlad was waiting. Like any other occasion when he was trying to pass the time, Vlad was reading a newspaper. Nobody else was in the room. Although I knew the house was full of people, the ranch almost felt empty with such a little amount of people in the main room. I wondered if that was on purpose. What did Vlad want with me?

"I can take it from here, Diego, thank you," Vlad told the man as we arrived. He put his paper away and stood. As if he was a robot or something, Diego nodded like he always did before leaving. I watched the guy leave, not sure what to think of Diego at that moment.

Great. So I had to go at this alone. The look I gave Vlad said everything. It was obvious I was not enthused about our scheduled "talk"; as if the man listened to anything I said.

"Did you have a good night's sleep?" Vlad asked, sporting a charismatic smile. Who was he kidding? I would have laughed if I wasn't in such a foul mood.

"Correction: drug induced sleep," I spat back. "Thanks for that, by the way. You know how I always love a good ol' foreign chemical in my body forcing me to black out. Good times."

"Still cranky from nap time, I see," Vlad muttered.

"You have no one to blame but yourself."

Vlad put his hands on his hips with a slightly perturbed sigh. Yawning like an African hippo, I busied myself as Vlad decided what to do with me by glancing uncaringly around the room. All the animal heads on the walls were beginning to creep me out. Just like Vlad's gaze, there was no escape from their glassy stares.

Finally, Vlad's expression softened and he asked, "Do you want breakfast, Daniel?"

At the mention of food, I suddenly realized I was starving. It had been about a day or more since I'd eaten anything. Even then, it had been a mere sandwich. I didn't care if it would be shared with Vlad; breakfast sounded amazing!

"Yeah," I answered, a weak smile flittering across my face. "I'm starving."

"Good," Vlad concluded with a refreshingly genuine grin. "Something we finally agree on."

"It's the _only_ thing we agree on," I muttered as I followed him to the kitchen.

Opening the fridge and grabbing a carton of eggs, a gallon of milk, some cheese, and butter, Vlad scolded me as I ventured off toward a cupboard I knew store the cereal. "Don't you dare touch that sugary nonsense you deem as breakfast, Daniel," he chided me with a harsh glare. "Today we're having a _real_ breakfast. Now go get me the bacon, and don't think about doing anything smart."

"And still you find a way to suck the fun out of something as awesome as breakfast. I seriously underestimated your wickedness, Vlad. Forgive me," I grumbled as I skulked over to the fridge and grabbed the bacon for him.

"You'll thank me later, boy, when you're eating one of the best breakfasts in your entire but short life," Vlad said with a teasing smile.

With knowing, flowing movements, the man smoothly cracked the eggs against the side of a pan on the stove before flawlessly emptying the gooey contents into the frying pan without a single piece of shell falling in. He didn't even have to look at his work. He always kept an eye on me as he cracked the eggs like a skilled chief. It was pretty impressive, actually.

"What's this other stuff out here for?" I asked, looking at the extra ingredients Vlad had collected and put in the center island.

"What's a good breakfast without pancakes?" was Vlad's calm answer.

"I can make those," I offered. "There's a skillet or something around here, right?"

"Heavens no, my dear boy," Vlad chuckled at me as if I'd said something silly. "I don't trust you with anything that hot and dangerous. You would probably find a way to burn the house down."

"There's a thought," I said with a smirk. The reproachful look Vlad gave me afterwards wiped the expression off my face. Standing in the middle of the kitchen with nothing to do, I decided I should probably help out to make the cooking go faster. Taking the initiative, I walked over to a drawer to get some scissors to open the bacon package with.

"What are you doing?" Vlad asked as I opened the drawer.

"I'm going to open the bacon for you," I answered without looking up.

"Stop," Vlad ordered me, voice even but firm. Reluctantly, I obeyed just as my fingertips brushed the scissors. I glanced up at him irritably. "Don't use anything sharp," he commanded sternly. "Apparently you got your hands on a knife last night. Thankfully, Aleksey was the one you pulled it on. It could have ended in disaster otherwise."

"What do you want me to use then?" I asked in disbelief. "My teeth?"

"That's quite unnecessary. I can open the package myself," Vlad told me as he mixed the ingredients for a pancake mix together in a plastic bowl. He didn't use a recipe. Somehow, he just knew what to mix and how much. The man had done this many times before.

"Then what should I do?" I asked, slamming the drawer shut with a glare.

Vlad rested his stare on me, pondering an answer for a moment. He looked like he had a clear solution at one point, but he quickly corrected himself as he pointed at me and said, "Stand there. Just like that. Don't move." He then split his attention in two as he went back to his pancake batter.

"_Vlad_," I whined.

"What is the matter now, Daniel?"

"This is stupid," I flat out told him with a sigh of disgust. "Your paranoia is getting in the way of this 'wonderful' breakfast of yours, you know. Let me do something."

Vlad regarded me for second before silently deciding I was right. He nodded to a cabinet close to him, saying deridingly, "Think you can handle getting out some plates without causing a complete and utter fiasco?"

"I'll try."

Feeling Vlad's eyes on me the entire time, I grabbed two plates out of the cabinet and joined him at the stove. He scooped up the ready eggs with a spatula and placed them on the plates I offered. Using one of the measuring cups, Vlad ladled the pancake batter in one and poured the thick contents into the pan before adjusting the heat to his satisfaction. I watched, fascinated, as he deftly flipped the pancake without the help of a spatula.

"When did you learn how to do that?" I had to ask.

"University," Vlad answered as he lobbed the pancake onto the plate I held for him. He started on a second one as he said, "Your father and I shared an apartment for our junior and part of our senior year. The buffoon had no clue how to cook and wouldn't know how to crack an egg even if his life depended on it. To prevent starvation, I cooked for the both of us. It took some time to learn; nonetheless, as you can see, I managed."

My dad still couldn't cook. Just the same, it wasn't his fault he was forgetful and horribly clumsy. Vlad's spiteful comment about my dad's lack of cooking skills resonated a flash of anger in me, but I kept my mouth shut. Saying something would only bring about an argument. I really wanted this breakfast to go by without a yelling match between Vlad and I. So far, it had been pretty peaceful...kinda. There's no such thing as peaceful when Vlad is in the same room as me, but you get my point.

A few minutes went by in silence between us. Finished with the pancakes and preparing to start on the bacon, Vlad pointed out curiously, "You're being unnaturally quiet today."

"I can't be quiet now, huh?" I asked, making sure to keep the sarcasm out of my voice this time. I was on my best behavior that morning. It was a new tactic I was hesitantly adopting.

"I just fear you're plotting something ungodly in that little brain of yours," Vlad said, nimbly placing thick slices of bacon on the fatty, bubbling surface of the pan. The smell was amazing! The fumes alone were making me salivate in anticipation.

"Just because I'm quiet doesn't mean I'm planning my escape," I told him with a smirk. For once, Vlad wasn't underestimating me. I was something of a threat now. In a way, I liked it. "You assume too much, V-man. I might just be hungry."

"That has to be one of the weakest lies you've told me by far, or you're more of a teenager than I thought," Vlad said with a good-natured chuckle. "How do you like your bacon?"

"Oh, I warned you of my teenager contract long ago," I said, grinning slightly. "You take care of me, you take care of a bona fide teenager. That's what I said. Or, you know, something like that. So you can go kick yourself now for being the idiot and bringing me out here despite my warning. Crispy, by the way."

"Warning? From you? I hope you're joking, boy. You're in a rather ostentatious mood this morning, I see," Vlad laughed. "Fetch me another plate for this bacon, won't you?"

Quickly obeying, I asked as Vlad dished the bacon onto the plate, "When's this greatest-breakfast-of-all-time gonna be finished? I'm dying, here."

Vlad grinned as he ruffled my hair with one hand and took the plate of bacon from me with his other. "Grab those plates, I'll get the syrup, and then we'll be able to eat," he told me as he walked over to a small table off to the side in the kitchen where the servants usually ate.

I hesitated, fear of the coming conversation holding me back. I didn't like the unknown. Furthermore, the oddly nice and fatherly way Vlad was acting toward me was getting my emotions all mixed up again. I didn't know what to expect or how'd I react.

"Danny?" Vlad said curiously as he was getting the syrup from a cabinet on the other side of the kitchen. Nothing I did went unnoticed when it came down to Vlad. He sensed my doubt as he asked, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah. I'm good," I lied with a forced smile, picking up our plates of food and heading for the table. Setting the plates down at their respective places before sitting on my stool, I feinted my good mood by saying jokingly to Vlad, "This better be as good as you promised, or I'll never forgive you."

Vlad only smiled as he picked up his fork and dug into his eggs first. I did the same but with more gusto. I practically inhaled those eggs before slowing down so my taste buds could catch up. They were the best eggs I'd ever tasted.

"Dude, this is so good!" I commented around a mouthful. "What did you put in it?"

"Cheese."

"Just cheese?"

"Just the _perfect_ amount of cheese, might I add."

"Well, it's freaking delicious."

"Thank you."

"You know a large amount of the deliciousness is because I haven't eaten in like two days, right?" I teased.

Vlad was quiet for moment as he regarded me with a somber expression. Finally, he said, "You've been through a lot these last few days, haven't you?"

"I don't see any reason why you'd care," I shot back, shooting the man a hard look. It was a clear warning to back off the subject. Needless to say, he ignored it.

"I do care," he insisted calmly.

"That's crap."

"I do."

Pouring viscous syrup all over my perfectly fluffy pancakes, I gave up and said sharply, "Fine. Let's pretend you care. You don't, just so you know. But now that we're in hypothetical world, let's imagine I actually consider you a decent man I'd answer to if asked that question." Staring him straight in the eye, I honestly answered, "Yeah, Vlad. I've been through hell because of you. Thanks for asking."

"That unexpectedly made you very hostile," Vlad mused aloud. "You were exceptionally calm and relaxed until I asked you that. Why is that?"

"There's a difference between being nice to someone just to be nice and being nice to someone because you care," I mumbled around a large piece of pancake. "I can handle you being nice to me, but I don't like it when you say you care. It's a big, fat lie, and both of us know it. So stop pulling that bullshit on me unless you want to see me get angry, okay?"

"But I do care about you, Daniel," Vlad told me with all seriousness. His expression and tone matched up as I intently studied him. He was telling the truth. Or at least he thought he was telling the truth.

"No," I said with a bitter shake of my head and a disbelieving smile, "You don't, Vlad." He opened his mouth to object, but I cut him off. Pointing my fork at him, I said firmly, "If you truly cared for me, you wouldn't be putting me through all this...crap. You wouldn't shove me into so much danger. You wouldn't order someone to shoot me or - or pump me full of drugs! Hell, if you cared for me, Vlad, you would have taken me up on that offer last night and be flying the both of us back to the States right now!"

Unflustered by my state of aggravation, Vlad listened while he ate, thought for a moment, then said, "You must know by now that what I do to you is always for your own benefit, Danny. I'm putting you through these hard times so that you can come out stronger and more defined. This is all for your own good."

"For my own good?" I snorted, almost choking on my pancake. Swallowing, I said heatedly, "Who do you think you are? My parent? You can't decide what is for my own good or not!"

"You must understand," Vlad explained, always with a stoic manner, "You, Daniel, are the only person like me on this entire earth. We have a bond. Despite what you may think now, we're like each other in many ways. In a word, I have a certain responsibility to teach you what I know. Not only should I show you what you can do with your ghost powers, but I have the task of sharing _all_ my knowledge with you. To do that properly, our relationship will have to be strained at first. Until you understand the reality of this world and know how to manipulate it for yourself, I will always have this role of teacher."

"Teacher? So what are you teaching me now?" I asked with a sneer. "How to lie, connive, and hurt people? Great, moral stuff right there."

"They are for your benefit if they get you what you want," Vlad said with a nod.

"But I don't _want_ those qualities! They are qualities _you_ want me to have! So I can become _what_? Like _you_? A lonely, fruitloop millionaire who can buy whatever he wants but who is loved by absolutely no one?" I shouted across the table.

I'd said the wrong thing. The flash of anger in Vlad's eyes should have been my warning, but I was too furious to stop as I scoffed cruelly, "How's that like, by the way? Having no life? I'm sure it is very, very happy."

"I don't expect you to understand," Vlad said cooly. His steely glare cut right through me, wounding my confident fury until there was nothing left but a careful fear. I needed to watch my step and reel in my anger before it got me in big trouble.

"I don't want to be like you, Vlad," I said quietly. Confusion crossed my face as I asked him, "Don't you see that?"

"I do."

"Then why won't you respect what I want?"

"Because you are simply a child," Vlad said as if the answer was right in front of my face. He reined in his frustration as he said evenly, "You may see exactly what you think you want, but that doesn't mean you know what you need."

"How do you know what I need, then? Don't tell me it's because you're an adult and I'm not."

"It_ is _in fact because I'm an adult," Vlad said. Raising a hand to stop my protest, he told me, "I'm an adult who has years of experience over you, Daniel. I know how the world turns. From what I've seen, this world isn't worth saving. Human lives are without a purpose. Your cute, little terms of justice, peace, and honesty are just made up words to make you feel better about yourself. They mean nothing. The only thing that does matter is having the power to do and have what you want. Furthermore, the only way to obtain that power is to fight for it and win. What you need right now, Daniel, is the knowledge and experience of that kind of fighting. Since I'm one of the few people in this world who knows exactly how to obtain this power and use it properly, I will teach you these things. One day, boy, you will understand this and come to thank me."

With wide eyes of terror and incredulity, I watched as Vlad nonchalantly went back to eating his breakfast. It was as if he hadn't just unloaded his entire philosophy on what he was doing with my life on me. Something sarcastic needed to be said, but I knew Vlad would just see right through me. No. I needed to point out the illogic in his reasoning.

"So if you're teaching me to fight for what I want, what's gonna stop me from keeping my wants on the same things I have now?" I asked slowly and thoughtfully. "Won't all this fighting for them make my current wants stronger because I've done so much for them?"

Vlad looked up at me in mid-chew, his face blank. From months of experience, I knew he was actually hiding another expression. Did I actually make a dent in his plans or his thoughts? Even if it was a small one, that would still mean I was getting somewhere.

The man finished chewing, swallowed slowly for an extra second of thought, then said with a sigh and a smile, "You're too young to understand, Daniel."

"Yeah. Sure. Whatever," I gave up on the subject with fake disinterest. Tearing my eyes off Vlad for a second, I stared down at my breakfast as I mindlessly picked and ate from it. What Vlad had told me had squashed my entire appetite, but I continued to eat anyways to pretend I was okay. No weakness could be shown.

"You're upset," Vlad stated with a wary smile. "What is it now?"

Putting on a cocky smile, I looked up at him and said, "You're paranoid, Vladdy. I'm just thinking about what you said." He raised a questioning eyebrow, slowly chewing his piece of pancake. "I'm not upset," I lied with a frustrated sigh. "I expected a messed up philosophy from a crazy man. No surprise here."

Vlad put down his silverware, frowning as he leaned back in his seat and studied me like an interesting book. This was all part of our ongoing game. Lying wasn't just about what you said or how you said it. The hardest part was keeping your body language in balance with your words. The trick for this one was to ignore him. That's exactly what I did as I calmly ate my food and looked around the room while chewing.

"Sometimes I can't tell or not," Vlad said quietly. The ambiguous statement was meant to draw my attention back to him. Once he had captured it, he gave a mysterious smile and said with a tilt of his head, "You're learning at a too fast a pace, boy. Sometimes I can't tell if you're lying or not."

"If you're expecting a thanks for that lesson well taught, then you're more retarded than I thought," I said dryly.

Inwardly, I wrestled with what Vlad had said. This was important to digest. If he couldn't tell if I was lying half the time, then I guess that was good and winning was in my grasp. But this statement could easily be a trap to fool me into a false confidence. If only I knew how to tell if Vlad was lying or not. That skill, I was afraid, would take decades to master. I didn't have that much time.

"Back to the sarcasm already?" Vlad asked, grinning. "You're rather addicted to it, aren't you?"

"It's a great repellant against psychopathic fruitloops," I told him truthfully.

"It's a lovable habit, I'm sure, but it won't work," Vlad said as he diligently cut more of his pancakes, "Especially if you want to discuss what I originally brought you down here for."

Great. Here came the politics. If I thought I was on thin ice before, it was only going to get worse. Time to step my game up another notch. I was going to have to lie, anticipate, and improvise these next coming minutes as if my life depended on it...which they probably did. Locking my gaze with Vlad's, I let my mind click into overdrive as I ignored my fear and anger. While my insides were allowed to look like a crazy storm, on the outside it had to look like smooth sailing.

It was game time.

A/N: Fun stuff. Circular reasoning from Vlad isn't gonna work on Danny anymore, it seems. I like where I'm taking Danny's character and growing him up a bit. And his relationship with Vlad can be so odd...yet so much fun to write! More intensity from these two in the next chapter! I'll see you guys next weekend!


	22. Chapter 22 Being a Challenge

A/N: Man, I feel so bad about not updating in forever it seems like. I've just been going through a real reading spurt. It's like my only diet for the past 3 weeks were books. And it just so happened that one series was all in first person present...which resulted in me only being able to write in a present tense for Danny. It sucked. But I think I'm good now. This chapter is...meh. Probably 'cause of me spending more time reading than writing, so I'm sorry if the chapter feels more like a filler. Next chapter will have more action. Promise. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Don't own anything from the show.

Chapter 22 Being a Challenge

Chewing slowly on my soggy piece of pancake, I regarded Vlad with an air of complete carelessness. It was all a facade. In reality, I was itching to hear what Vlad wanted to say. Pride prevented me from looking too eager, though. Eagerness might look like a weakness. And no weaknesses belonged at this table with this man. It was too dangerous.

"You wanted to talk to me?" I asked with a wide-eyed look of fake innocence. "And here I thought you just wanted company for breakfast. Should have known."

Glancing carefully up at me as he cut another slice of pancake, Vlad said evenly, "Your parents have been calling for you."

That shut me up. I even stopped chewing. It was exactly what Vlad planned. A sneaky, victorious smile slid across his lips as he continued to eat as if we were talking about the weather.

Jeez, I missed my parents. And Jazz. And my friends. Come to think of it, there was a lot of things I missed from back home. Still, it wasn't going to do me any good thinking about it all. It would just make me more homesick and miserable.

Pulling myself together, I swallowed and asked, "Are you going to make me talk to them, then?" Before he can get out an answer, I said for him with a short sigh. "Probably. They won't stop calling. I'm sure mom has worked herself up into a worried mess by now."

"Don't tell me you forgot about them, Daniel," Vlad said, voice smooth as honey. He smirked as I caught his eye.

Sheesh. I hated that smirk. But I know he was just trying to make me angry. It almost worked. I got ahold of myself just as a frown flittered across my face.

"I haven't," I told him as I reached for a piece of bacon from the plate in middle of the table. My voice remained stable somehow. Munching on the crispy goodness, I said, "I've just been kinda busy. Ya know? With the whole escape-the-crazy-lunatic's-house-in-the-middle-of-the-jungle plans. Takes time."

"Well, that phone call needs to be made today," Vlad informed me with a nod, his smirk slowly vanishing. He didn't look perturbed, though. "It should be made soon, understand? They're bound to ask certain unwanted questions, so I've written out the guidelines to your answers if they may ask them. It shouldn't be too difficult."

I didn't let the words settle into my brain. I couldn't let him upset me. Best thing to do was plow on ahead with another subject. So I didn't even let a pause come between us before I asked as casually as possible, "What else do you have planned for me today?"

"It depends."

"Depends on what?"

"My plans depend on what I decide to do with you right now."

Eyebrows raising in unhidden interest, I asked, "What? You haven't decided yet? That's not like you."

"Let me assure you, boy, you're not one of my biggest concerns right now," Vlad said, tone bland. He flicked a glance my way as he leaned forward to take a bite of pancake, trying to catch my response to this comment. Face readily expressionless, he gathered nothing from me. I was getting good at this game.

"So what are my options?" I said with a playful smile. "Locked up in a closet again? Or maybe my room? Does Diego have to stay my babysitter? Speaking of which, does he get paid to watch me like a robot?"

Vlad stared at me as he thoughtfully chewed his food. He was taking his good time studying my every move and expression. Chomping on my bacon, I fearlessly stared back at him and waited as if I had nothing better to do. Silently, I hoped he didn't notice my tense muscles. On the inside, I was bundle of nerves. Sarcasm wasn't going to get me very far. Sooner or later Vlad was going to realize I was using it as a crutch for false confidence.

"I wanted to ask you what_ you_ wanted me to do with you," Vlad finally said after he properly swallowed his food.

He was kidding, right? What kind of game was he playing here? Just when I thought I was getting to know the guy, and he has to go pull a stunt like that. Man, this was confusing!

"You can let me go," I suggested with a dubious laugh.

"Don't be imprudent, boy," Vlad said with a short roll of his eyes. "Of course not."

"Well, you wanted to know what I wanted," I argued, keeping a grin on my face and hoping Vlad didn't notice it was totally fake. "I thought I'd supply the answers for you."

"Thank you for your input, Daniel, but I'm afraid your desire is out of the question," Vlad said with a shake of his head.

"Oh, darn."

Vlad pushed through my sarcasm as if it wasn't there, saying brightly, "I'm afraid keeping you locked up somewhere in the house might make you a little desperate. The last time you were drove to that kind emotion, you somehow made your way out of that closet undetected. That was fairly dreadful. You almost escaped."

"No thanks to that _charming_ uncle of yours," I muttered with my mouth full.

"It's thanks to Aleksey that you're here now and under control," Vlad said as if it was a good thing I was still kidnapped and that it was ludicrous of me to be mad about it. "Who knows where you'd be and what you'd be doing with Taj if you had been allowed to go traipsing off into the jungle. I wouldn't be surprised if you'd be killed already from some jungle disease or eaten by a wild animal."

Grinding my teeth to keep down the anger that bubbled inside me, I made an effort to keep eating the food on my plate as I told Vlad, "I was doing fine on my own, as a matter of fact. Taj was too."

"Please," Vlad scoffed, "Don't try to tell me Taj is competent on surviving out in the jungle by himself for more than few lucky days. You saw the boy. He can hardly string two sentences together without fumbling over his words. He wouldn't have lasted much longer if we hadn't picked him up."

"He's a lot stronger and smarter than you think he is," I spat back. I didn't like Vlad insulting my friend like that, but I couldn't let myself get too angry. Level head. That's what I needed, but Vlad was making this task close to impossible. I swear he was doing it on purpose.

"Is he now?" Vlad chuckled, amused by this notion. But it wasn't a real chuckle. It was a calculated one. Vlad was manipulating me. "Honestly, I'm surprised he's managed to escape capture for so long. It must be that power of his."

What did he want from me? No. Not me. Taj. He wanted more information about Taj and his power. He knew I'd seen Taj use it and had been to the other world myself. If he hit just the right nerve, he could get me angry enough to spill some of the beans. Well, that wasn't going to happen. Not on my watch!

Putting on my most bored expression that was easily perfected because of many dull English classes with Mr. Lancer, I looked up at Vlad and said indifferently, "I guess so."

It was hard not to smile at the look on Vlad's face. For the tiniest of a second he seemed confused and disappointed at my obviously impassive response about my friend. Then it was back to a guarded countenance as he calculated his next step.

I wasn't going to give him the chance to think. It was time to go on the offense.

"I think I should be involved," I said, sitting back in my chair. I was done eating. My appetite was long gone. Shoveling in one more mouthful of that breakfast would have made me puke.

"Involved with what?" Vlad asked curiously.

"Involved with whatever you're doing here," I said as if what I was asking for was plain to see. I clearly stated my demands by saying intently, "I don't want to be locked away in some dumb, stinky closet for another week while you go destroy another dimension and our own. I want a piece of the action."

Vlad stared at me, unblinking. His eyes bore right into me as if they were reading and examining my very thoughts. Just in case he did have some form of telepathy, I tried to keep my head clear and calm as I suffered under the man's scrutiny. It almost killed me, but I managed to keep from moving or twitching suspiciously. If it were games Vlad wanted to play, then I was gonna play my heart out.

"You're serious," he finally said, a wolfish smile consuming his features. That smile was beyond creepy. I almost lost my confidence right then and there, but I hung onto my mask with fingers of silent desperation.

"Yeah. I'm serious."

"Now why on earth would I ever allow you to be involved with my work?" I didn't like the way he asked the question. He was testing me. For once, his favorite experiment was doing something interesting. He wanted to see how far I'd go.

Quickly, I turned the tables by saying with a sneaky smile, "You tell me, Vlad."

"Dear boy, are you trying to play coy with me?" Vlad laughed, shaking his head disbelievingly at my actions, "Because if you are, it won't work."

"You already know my intentions. I'm not hiding anything," I stated while crossing my arms across my chest. "Now the ball is in your court. It's your decision to keep me around or not."

"I know," Vlad sniffed as he picked up his fork and popped a glob of scrambled eggs into his mouth. He glanced around the room before returning his stare to me and saying, "But I'm curious as to why you think you have any amount of hope for your request to be granted by me. I won't make a decision until you tell me."

Fine. If he was gonna play it that way, it was time to tell him the truth.

"I'm a challenge," I answered briskly. "You like challenges. While shutting me away in a closet might be more practical, you know that I stand a better chance of learning if you give me more freedom. It's more fun this way. For you, that is. Honestly, I'm beyond having any fun. This is just one, big mess I've gotta clean up."

"Do you honestly think you'll outwit me?" Vlad asked, tilting his head back in strong interest.

"Worth a shot," I said with a forced shrug.

"Even with your friends' lives on the line? Are you willing to put them in danger?"

"They're already in danger."

"Not if you behave my orders."

"You think I trust your word not to hurt them?" I scoffed. "I might be a sappy superhero, Vlad, but that doesn't mean I'm stupid enough to believe in every "promise" you make. Besides, you have plans for Taj. That means you'll probably hurt him anyways. He's already been through enough. He doesn't need you in his life, screwing it up even more. That's why I plan on helping him. I might not have a clue what you have planned, but I know you well enough to know it's not for the greater good."

Vlad was silent for a full minute before he said deridingly, "I see."

He didn't see. He couldn't. Vlad's mind was so twisted and his morals were so warped that he could never come to grasp the reason behind my actions. Sure, he could observe all that I did and predict my every move because he was familiar with my concepts of justice, ethics, virtue, and morality, but he could _never_ personally and exhaustively know and experience these things. To Vlad, they were simply words and devises to manipulate and push me in the direction he wanted me to go. All I could do was frown to keep this opinion to myself.

"I'll let you be involved," Vlad said at last.

It took great effort for me to suppress the victorious smile that begged to be put on my face. Instead, I continued to impassively watch Vlad with a perfectly emotionless expression. This didn't go undetected.

"You don't look surprised."

"I'm not."

"So you knew I'd let you be involved?"

"Why else would you ask for my opinion? To be polite? Nice? Pssh! Yeah, right."

"Maybe I want someone who Taj trusts to talk to him for me," Vlad suggested with a nonchalantly sly smile.

"Wait," I protested, fighting away a frown. "I don't want to be part of your dirty work."

"You never specified what you wanted."

The glare couldn't be hidden as I muttered, "That's not fair."

"If it's fair you want, then I'll sweeten the deal a little," Vlad tried to indulge me. "You have permission to go wherever you want in the house as long as Diego is with you. How does that sound, Daniel?" I gnawed on the inside of my cheek in thought. Vlad folded his arms and chuckled at me, "You don't have much room to negotiate, boy. This shouldn't be such a difficult decision."

"Alright. I'll be a Taj ambassador for you," I snapped at him. It was hard not to sound sour about the whole "deal". The last thing I wanted to do was to misuse Taj's trust for Vlad's sake, but I had to talk to the guy if my next (and hopefully final) escape plan was to be fulfilled.

"Good. Now fill a new plate with leftovers," Vlad ordered me. When he caught my quizzical glance, he told me as he got to his feet, "We don't have time to dawdle, boy. Your friend hasn't eaten anything for days, so you're bringing him breakfast. A friendly face might relax him enough to the point that he'll open up to you or me. He's refused to speak to anyone since his capture, but he'll break that vow of silence if he sees you, I'm sure."

"You on a deadline or something?" I asked as I used a spoon to scoop the rest of my eggs onto the plate of bacon. I'm sure Taj was starving, so I was gonna try and pile as much food on the plate as I could for the poor guy.

"You could call it that," was Vlad's ambiguous answer.

"So what am I supposed to do? Sit there as you torture answers out of him?" I said. "I'm sure I'll make an excellent cheerleader."

"All you have to do is talk to him," Vlad instructed me, ignoring my snarky comments. "Relax him a little."

"Why not hurt him?" It wasn't a suggestion. I just wanted to know why he wasn't using any force.

"The boy might be a blundering street rat, but it is obvious that Taj is dangerous with his power," Vlad was willing to divulge his reasoning. "I'm afraid if I push him too far things might get out of hand. It's best to test the waters before plunging in."

Plate towering high and heavy with food, I followed Vlad out of the kitchen and to the music room with the piano in it before taking the back staircase to the third floor. The more we climbed, the more men for security I saw. Taj was like a prized jewel or something and was well guarded by Diego's group of men. Getting Taj out was gonna take more than I anticipated. It was a daunting task, but I still had a good chance. And it wasn't like I was gonna sit there and twirl my thumbs all day doing nothing until a pile of luck came falling on me. I had to plan _something_ of any escape, or I probably would have been driven insane with guilt, worry, and boredom.

Taj was being held in a room in the middle of a long hallway. A guard was stationed at the door, and when we were admitted inside the room with an interior design that was close to identical to mine, I noticed a second guard sitting in a armchair in the corner.

From his peculiar spot lying on the floor on his back, Taj cracked his eyes open when he heard the door open. His eyes widened when he saw it was Vlad and me. Muscles tensing all throughout his body, Taj propped himself up with his palms and eyed the both of us suspiciously. He remained silent.

"Go ahead," Vlad guided me with a push between my shoulder blades when he saw me stand there in hesitation. "I'll stand by the door while you talk to him."

Reluctantly, I walked forward, sat down across from Taj on the floor, and placed the plate of breakfast between us. Taj's eyes flittered from the food, to my face, to Vlad, then back to the food again. Offering an apologetic smile, I said quietly, "Eat up, dude."

Prompted like that, Taj swiftly struck out and grabbed a handful of bacon. It was chewed and swallowed in seconds. The way he inhaled the grub wasn't gross or anything. He almost looked like a nervous, starved animal. It was just all very quick and precise as he watched me and Vlad carefully while he chewed and swallowed at a lightning pace. Table manners still mattered to the teen.

"Are you alright, man?" I finally asked after a few minutes of Taj eating. "I was worried about you. They haven't hurt you or anything?"

Taj shook his head. He wearily glanced at the silent but looming Vlad standing like a ominous statue by the door behind me. Obviously, he was nervous about the man. Admittedly, I was too, but I needed Taj to talk to me.

"They drug you too last night?" I asked casually with a joking grin. Taj shook his head, a concerned frown twitching on his lips. "Um...nevermind, then," I mumbled. "Guess Vlad thought you didn't need the sleep. And you probably don't get nightmares."

Taj looked away from me without comment, chewing his food thoughtfully now that the gaping hole in his stomach was being filled. On second thought, he probably did get nightmares. Not because of his powers, but because of his past and the guilt he still harbored for everything that had happened.

"What did they do with your stuff?" I offed a question that couldn't be answered with a turn of the head.

"That guy with the gum took my b-backpack," Taj finally said in a soft, quiet voice without looking up at me. "I don't know what he did with it."

"Oh. Diego, you mean?"

"Yeah. That guy."

I heaved a large sigh designed to sound like disappointment. In reality, I got exactly the information I wanted. There were important things in that backpack. Mainly, a laptop. I needed that laptop. Getting to it would be hard but not impossible, especially since Diego knew where it was and the future promised me multiple hours with the man. If I could contact Sam, Tuck, Jazz or really anyone who I trusted, then I could rely on someone from the outside coming to help me eventually. The question was: would they get here in time to stop Vlad? I had to try, though. I had to.

Nibbling on his bacon, Taj curiously asked me, "No offense, Danny, but why are you here to see me?"

"Hey, it wasn't my idea, so don't get upset," I explained, "but I'm here to talk to you so you to can calm down or something. Don't ask me why. I'm still clueless about everything." I threw my head in Vlad's direction, saying, "Vlad's orders."

"I'm not talking to that man," Taj said firmly.

"You don't have to," I told him. It was odd talking about Vlad as if he wasn't there standing only a few yards away, but it seemed to ease Taj's nerves just a tad so I continued. "Not now, at least. He's taking it easy with you at the moment because of your power. But eventually he's gonna lose his patience."

"Danny."

I stiffened when I heard Vlad standing right behind me. Warily, I glanced up at him by craning my neck back. He had his hands folded in front of his chest and a sour frown etched into his face. "You're not helping," he reprimanded me cooly.

"He talked, didn't he?" I argued, motioning to Taj with a hand. Quickly trying to duck away, I was unsuccessful in evading Vlad's rapid strike. He caught a handful of my hair and yanked me to my feet. "Ow! Ow!" I yelped as agony tingled across my scalp.

"Yes. He talked. Splendid job, Daniel. But I don't appreciate you spouting unnecessary knowledge to my captives," Vlad chided as he guided me to the door by my hair.

"Can't help it," I said with a guilty grin. "It just comes out. Like diarrhea."

Vlad stopped short as he was opening the door, throwing me a surprisingly repulsed look as we stood on the threshold of the hallway outside. For a second we just silently stared at each other, me wearing a sheepish smile and Vlad wondering why on earth he was caring for someone who so freely used the word diarrhea. Vlad then shook his head in annoyance and shoved me into the hallway. I stumbled, catching myself just before I slammed into Diego's chest. Where had he come from?

"Watch him," Vlad ordered Diego. He sounded a little peeved. I hoped it was because of me. "Closely," Vlad added. Once seeing Diego's nod, he looked down at me and commanded flatly, "Stay out of trouble. You know what will happen if you don't behave. That clear?"

"Transparently, V-man," I said with a nod. Seeing him so irritated was putting me in a good mood apparently. And he hadn't threatened me or my friends, so all was okay. I'd even call it successful.

"You have permission to gag him," Vlad told Diego before slamming the door to the bedroom shut. Hope he wasn't going to do anything nasty to Taj. Worry for my friend pulled my eyebrows together in concern, but I quickly dashed the expression away. Worry wasn't going to get me anywhere today.

Looking happily up at Diego I said, "Hi."

Diego regarded me blandly as he monotonously chewed his gum. He said nothing in return. Typical.

"Jeez, Diego, do you have to be so loud?" I asked him sarcastically. "It's getting obnoxious."

A/N: I thought ending it on a lighter note might be best. And I need more action. Besides that, I don't have much to say except thanks for sticking with me and I'll see you awesome readers next week for the next chapter!


	23. Chapter 23 My Programing Angel

A/N: Hey, I actually managed to get some action into this chapter! It was so much fun to write after having little to none in a long time. Not much I can say but that I've really been enjoying your reviews! Though I didn't get to respond to them this week, I will answer one here and say that most of my reading diet for the past few weeks has been stuff by Catherine Jinks. Read her Genius series. It's amazing! That said, enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: Do I own Danny Phantom? No. Do I own the other characters? Yup!

Chapter 23 My Programing Angel

"What about cards?" I asked in something close to a plead.

"No," Diego answered.

"Please! You won't have to say a thing, just how you like it!" I said, practically falling out of the armchair I was draped over as I used my hands for urgent emphasis. "Come on! I'm so bored! There is nothing to do here, and I need to get my mind off stuff."

"No."

Expecting that answer, I exploded in surrender while going limp across the seat's arm. Diego didn't move from his silent and still spot across from me. He was like a freaking statue the entire day! He hardly put more than five words together in a sentence when he talked to me. The man was very careful not to say or do anything wrong as my babysitter. His less than enthusiastic approach to watching over me had made the first half of the day aggravating for me because I couldn't get a peep out of him no matter what strategy I tried. If I couldn't get him to talk or even interact with me, then I'd have to get more drastic. I'd been nice and compliant thus far, but that would have to change.

Couldn't believe it would have to come to this.

"I'm exploring the place, then," I suddenly muttered as I quickly scrambled out of my chair and briskly walked toward the main staircase.

Diego was taken off guard by my seemingly random decision. While he was surprised, it didn't slow him down for a second. With a firm frown on his face, he bolted out of his seat and rushed after me. Didn't matter what I did. The man was always on my heels.

"I guess we can start at the top and then work our way to the bottom of the house," I mused aloud for Diego. He grunted in response as we started on the second staircase to the third floor. "You know how to get the attic?" I asked over my shoulder.

"No."

"Helpful," I drawled out in frustration.

The stationed guard by Taj's door glanced at me with curiosity as Diego and I walked by. As the guard and Diego exchanged a short conversation in Spanish, I made a show of looking up at the ceiling in search for stairs I could pull down to get to the attic. Nothing was there, though. The entrance must have been in another room on the floor.

"Can you ask him how Taj is doing?" I asked Diego after a few minutes of a fruitless hunt.

"No."

"Well, can _I_ ask him, then?" I asked hopefully.

"No."

A sad, subdued sigh escaped me. Grimacing to prevent the disappointment from getting on my face, I reached out and tried the nearest doorknob next to me. It was locked. No surprise there. Silent and pouty, I moved onto the next one. It was locked too. How come I had a feeling all these doors were gonna be locked?

"He doesn't know very much English, anyways," Diego said quietly as he sidled up next to me.

I glanced up at the man, surprised by his words. Although it didn't sound like it, that was the nearest to an apology I'd gotten from him all day. We stared at each other for a second before I looked away and went back to my checking of the locked doors. I wish he hadn't said that. It just made things harder on me.

Soon, we moved onto the second floor. The only door that was open was to my own room. Sighing in waning interest and hope, I slowly plodded down the stairs to the main floor. Diego said nothing. He just followed as I explored the first floor and led him through multiple rooms, checking locked windows as if I was taking mental notes for escape. I wasn't. This was just one, big show, and the finale was about to begin.

"Oh, hey, a basement," I said as we arrived at a set of stairs next to the kitchen. They led downward and into a dark pit of the unknown...for Diego, at least. I knew exactly what was down there. I knew because Aleksey had shown me his wine cellar my second day on the ranch.

"Are you allowed down there?" Diego asked, a bit of uncertainty slipping into his voice.

I shrugged. "No clue," I said, heading down without a care. "Vlad said I could go anywhere in the house that wasn't locked. This place isn't locked up, so I guess it's okay."

"Stay close," Diego grunted, following me like he was supposed to. His weight made the rickety wooden stairs creak with each footfall. It was so dark after a few feet of descending, it was hard to make out anything ahead. It was what I was counting on.

Once I knew it was hard for Diego to see me, I quickly and quietly rushed down the rest of the stairway, felt my way around the pitch-black area below, and found the closest rack of wine bottles. The smooth, cold glass of the bottle felt slippery in my sweaty, shaky hands as I took it off the rack and held it out before me. I swallowed the lump in my throat.

I could do this. I _had_ to do this. I couldn't wimp out now.

"Where do you turn on the lights?" Diego asked as he arrived at the bottom of the staircase. I followed the sound of his voice, coming up right next to him. Leveling the bottle as if it was a baseball bat, I shifted uneasily from foot to foot while I waited for him to find the pull string for the lights which I new had to be close to him.

"Danny?" Diego asked suspiciously into the darkness. Why was he taking so much time to turn on the lights? Maybe he didn't think it was a pull string. Sheesh! Looked like I'd have to turn them on myself.

"Yeah?" I said, trying to keep an even tone as I felt around for the pull string. I gripped it but waited before tugging it.

"Good. You're there."

"Diego?" I asked after a short pause.

"Yes?"

"I-I'm really sorry."

_Click!_

It was all perfect timing. There he was, slightly turned away from me while he was searching for the lights along the wall. I had the element of surprise. It was a perfect shot. Gut wrenching in anxiety and guilt, I rushed the necessary two steps to get to him, threw the bottle up over my head, and whacked the man with it right against the back of the skull as hard as I could.

_Smash!_

Wine and glass flew into the air as Diego was instantly knocked out. He collapsed onto the cement ground, motionless atop a pool of red wine and glass shards. Shaking uncontrollably, I stood over Diego's body with the broken bottle still in hand. I had just completely knocked out the man. When he would eventually come to, I would be officially in deep shit. Hopefully I'd get all that I needed done by that time.

_Move, Danny! Move!_ I yelled at myself inside my head when I found my body somehow frozen to my spot.

Shaking my head with silent disbelief, I bent down, wrapped my arms around Diego's chest, and heaved him away from the stairs. I couldn't have someone finding the guy. Not soon, at least. I needed about an hour before it was alright for all hell to break loose.

Brisk footfalls above my head made me stiffen with fear and glance upward. Someone must have heard the glass shatter when I hit Diego with the bottle and was coming to investigate the noise. Thinking quickly, I lunged upward, clicked off the light, then turned myself and Diego invisible. Only a few seconds later, one of Diego's men peered into the wine cellar from above. He stood there for what seemed like an eternity before walking away. I waited a minute or two before carefully turning the light on again.

Diego's body was as heavy as million sacks of potatoes as I slowly but surely lugged him deeper into the cellar. A layer of sweat covered my brow by the time I got him to the supporting pillar in the middle of the room. Panting for breath, I quickly undid Diego's shoelaces, ripped them out of his boots, and then tied the man to the wooden pillar with them. I used one of his own bandanas from his pocket to gag him. My hands shook the entire time, but I was once again on autopilot. There was no stopping me.

"Keys. Where do you keep your keys, Diego?" I whispered to the unconscious man while I thoroughly searched through his pockets. It didn't take long to find them and also a syringe with clear liquid in it. Probably there to put me asleep later. It could come in handy. Shoving the jingling ring of keys and the syringe with mystery liquid into my jean pockets, I paused to say softly, "Please, don't be too mad when you wake up."

That said, I stood and sprinted away while turning myself invisible. I rushed up the stairs as quietly as possible and headed for the second floor. A guard passed me while I was invisible, never the wiser that his leader was tethered below in the wine cellar and I was on the loose. Although it drained me, I was very thankful for my invisibility power. While it was a power I didn't use often when ghost fighting, I was finding millions of good uses for it here. I'd never take it for granted ever again.

Careful not to make much noise, I stayed invisible while I used the set of keys to try every bedroom door on the second floor. One of the bedrooms had to have Taj's stuff in it, I reasoned. So I tried door after door, ceasing all activity when someone walked by. My heart felt like it jumped into my throat when Vlad and Aleksey once walked past me, deep in a quiet, urgent discussion that they moved into the living room below. I needed to hurry before someone got suspicious about my absence.

It was Toushiro's old room where I found the jackpot. It was the room where all of the captives' stuff was dumped. All of Toushiro's and his team's belongings were there on the floor and beds. My old backpack was there on a table. Taj's bag was on the nearest double bed. His notebook papers and laptop were already out of the bag and spread across the comforter.

Smiling with delight and thanking my lucky stars, I entered the room and closed the door behind me before letting myself return to a visible state. Feverishly, I walked over to Taj's laptop, flipped it open, and turned it on. To my surprise, I noticed it was a pretty new computer. I wonder if he had stolen it recently. Probably.

His password only took a minute of thought to guess. It was Niobe, his long lost sister's name. Once I was in, I checked for any kind of internet connection. There were a few sturdy bars. Yeah! I was good to go! I was incommunicado no more!

Suddenly, a box popped up onto the screen with the face of a girl in it. I thought it was a popup until the girl gave a sing-song greeting as she waved into her laptop's camera.

"HEYA, TAJ MAHAL!"

I stared at the screen in fear and shock. A smaller box of my picture was on the bottom screen, showing me as I blanched in horror.

"Hey, you're not Taj," the girl stated, frowning at me in confusion and worry. Her mood had gone from happy, peppy girl to a complete badger as she glared at me through the camera.

The girl was probably my age or a little older. She had stringy, strawberry blonde hair pulled up into a ponytail, cunning blue eyes that cut right through me, a strong jaw line that made her frown seem harsher than it was, and a splash of freckles across her cheeks and nose.

She frowned fiercely as she demanded in a bark, "Who are you? Where's Taj?"

"I-I'm Danny," I said, still reeling from the unexpected webcam conference with a total stranger.

The girl's jaw dropped when I said this. She was quick to close it back up before asking in awe, "You're _Danny Phantom_? Holy crayola markers! I must be one lucky girl to meet you in person...er...in webcam. Whatever. I don't care! This is...this is awesome!"

"I...I don't understand," I said, dazed. "How do you know who I am? How could Taj...wait...Julie. You're Julie Summers, aren't you?"

"Julie Summers. Your-Biggest-Fan. Take your pick, ghost boy," Julie said, grinning at me. "Taj must have mentioned me; me being his best friend and all." She gave a satisfied sigh, putting her hands on her hips while saying with a goofy nod of her head, "My life is now complete. I feel so special."

Special didn't quite cover it. This girl was more close to loony. Made sense, though. Taj was weird. What did I expect his best friend to be? Normal? Guess not.

"So what you doing on Taj's computer? He doesn't let anyone touch his stuff," Julie said with a curious tilt of her head. She looked like a cute puppy dog when she did that.

"I need help," was my solemn answer.

While Julie seemed like someone who had her mood knob constantly turned onto happiness, she knew when to take a hint. She wasn't stupid. The second she got my answer, her smile dropped and for a second we shared grim expressions. She knew how serious our situation was, apparently. I guessed Taj had talked to her about everything while he had been waiting for me at the small town Vlad captured him at.

"He's okay, right?" she asked, trying to keep the fear out of her voice.

"For now," I said. "That's why I need to move fast. I need to email my friends about what's going on. Maybe they can get over here and help."

"Even if they had a private jet and parachuted down to where you guys were at, those friends of yours wouldn't be fast enough," Julie told me as if this was pure fact.

"But I at least need to _try_," I weakly argued.

"Let me help instead," Julie said.

"How? You're just as far away from Ecuador as my friends are back in Amity Park," I said dubiously.

Julie smiled, rolling her eyes at my ignorance. "I can help you with that watch," she said with confident relish. "Taj only mentioned it briefly when we talked the other day, but I've been itching to get my hands on that kind of programming. Please!" She dramatically put her hands together and physically begged me as she said with all kinds of theatrics, "Oh, please let me tinker with it! Please! I might even get to get it off somehow. Or give you your powers back. Something! Anything! Please!"

A grin couldn't help but make it to my face at her obnoxious pleading. She was so weird! "I would if I knew how you could do it over a webcam," I said, hiding a laugh behind my hand. "And if you swear never to beg like that again. What are you? Five?"

Counting on her fingers, she added up her age then told me with a zany smile, "I'm sixteen, actually."

"But Taj said you were in college," I said, confused.

"Yup. I'm a genius," Julie said, her smile turning into one of personal pride. She quickly went down to business as she said with a wave of her hand, "But we don't have time to talk about how awesome I am. That could go on for days. What I want is a crack at that watch. You know how to hook it up to your computer, right?"

Looking down at my watch and blinking in surprise, I muttered, "I didn't even know it was capable of connecting with a computer."

"How do you think Vlad programed it then?" Julie scolded my lack of intelligence with a sigh. "Try Taj's bag if it's near you. He might have something in there that will work. I swear, the silly boy has like five different USB cords for no good reason. One of them has to work for you. If not, then Vlad used a completely different system and you're screwed."

Ruffling around in Taj's bag for all the different cords, I muttered sarcastically, "There's positive thinking for you." As I held up the three I could find in all of Taj's odd junk of possessions, I caught Julie grinning at me. I guess she liked my sarcasm.

"The connecting opening on your watch will probably be hidden," Julie instructed me. "I'm not sure. It's not like this things comes with an instruction manual or anything."

"Instruction manual," I said as the thought hit me. "Wait right there, Julie!" Recklessly, I flung myself off the bed and rushed over to where my old backpack was. Hoping against hope, I yanked it open, looked inside, and almost melted with delight. Vlad hadn't taken back his manual! It was still there! I almost couldn't believe it.

Manual in hand, I walked back to where I left the computer. I presented the book to my new, strange friend with a smug smile.

"That the manual?" she said, eyes going wide in excitement and wonder.

"Yup!"

"Then this is gonna be like walking on cake!" Julie exclaimed.

After an hour and a half, I had decided it wasn't the cake walk she had made it out to be.

While we began with enthusiasm, I quickly lost the feeling about a half an hour into the reprograming process. Julie was still going strong, though. She munched happily away on Twizlers as she examined the insides of the watch via computer once I hooked up the watch up to the laptop. Sometimes she'd stop to tell me what was going on or what she planned to do, but it was all over my head. She was like Tucker when it came to computers. They knew exactly what they were yaking on about, but everyone in the vicinity felt like another language was being spoken.

Every so often Julie would stop eating her candy, stare intently at the screen as if she was a zombie, then suddenly type in a flurry of fingers before leaning back in her seat and chewing the rest of the Twizler that was dangling out of the corner of her mouth. Sometimes she'd grunt or frown, looking stumped over something before attacking the keyboard again. I had no clue what she was doing. I could only hope it was for the best.

I let her do all the work. The only thing I did to help was unlock the watch because I'd discovered the combination when I had been trying to get the tracking device out the night or two before. I also read some of the manual to her when she needed it. Somehow, she understood what I was reading, but I had no clue what it was half the time.

Eventually, Julie took her hands away from the keyboard and looked at me with a smirk. "Alright, ghost boy, listen up, 'cause this highly concerns you and your powers," she instructed me. When she noticed I had sat up in attention, she explained with as much plain language and patience as she could what she had modified with my watch.

"To do anything with it, you first have to unlock it like you first did. Once you did that, it's pretty simple. Basically, I made it so that each number on the watch face represents one of your powers. For example, 12 is invisibility, which you are on right now. If you twist the watch face to 1, you'll get your power of intangibility. 2 is flight. 3 is ectoplasm. 4 is something Vlad named overshadowing. Not sure what that is, but 5 is ice powers. Didn't know you had that one. So awesome! 6 is a wail thingy. That one is pretty powerful, according to Vlad. Any other powers will be on the later numbers. Got all that?"

"Um...yeah," I said, trying to memorize the number to each power. I had a feeling knowing them would be handy.

"To activate the power, you must push the watch face back in again," Julie went on. "You can only use one power at a time, so use 'em wisely. I would have liked to unlock your ghost mode completely, but Vlad's coding is confusing in that area. I don't know enough biology to fix that. I'm afraid I'd make you retarded if I touched it. You okay with this individual power thing, though, right?"

"Dude, I'm more than okay!" I said, flipping through the different powers. This was wonderful! Julie was like my programing angel! "This is amazing! I don't know how you did all this, but it's awesome!"

"I accept cash as well as credit cards," Julie said jokingly, releasing a grin. I laughed. She might have been weird, but Julie was funny and a load of help.

"How 'bout I just owe you one?" I suggested.

"If you get Taj out of there alive and well, we can call it even," Julie said, leaning comfortably back in her seat. The look on her face was a mixture of concern but confidence in her friend. She knew Taj was determined and tough, so she tried to be the same way for his sake.

My smile faded as the subject shifted back to Taj. "I'll do the best I can, Julie," I told her seriously.

"I know you will," she said with a small, sad smile. It was hard to see with the webcam, but I noticed tears build up around her eyes. She strongly held them inside her, though. Julie fought her emotions like a true warrior.

This girl really cared for Taj. The boy probably didn't see it or know it yet, but I saw the look in Julie's eyes. It was obvious. Their friendship was more than that. She loved Taj.

"There he is!"

Jumping in surprise, I looked up as one of Diego's men burst into the room and pointed at me. Without a goodbye, I quickly exited out of the webcam chat and closed the laptop. The man lunged for me, but I managed to keep him away by whacking the laptop against his head. Dazed by the unexpected attack, the man stumbled to the side of the bed before coming at me again. As he tried to leap over the bed between us, I jumped onto the one with Toushiro's suitcase on it behind me.

Keeping my eyes on the man, I shoved my hand into the suitcase and pulled it back out with a knife in a white knuckled grip. Leave it to Toushiro to bring more knives than a pack of ninjas on a overseas trip to Ecuador. Guess I couldn't complain. I had a weapon now, and that's what mattered.

"Get back!" I yelled at the man, swiping at him madly with the knife. He took a surprised step back. It was probably because of my age that made him so unsure about attacking me that second, but it was that small ounce of uncertainty that I needed to get out of that room.

Turning invisible, I leapt off the bed, landed in a roll, sprung smoothly back to my feet, and sprinted out the door. I nearly ran into the arms of a guard in the hallway, but he didn't see me and didn't know where to grab when I shoved him out of the way.

I needed to get to Taj! Now!

At the staircase, I skidded to a stop when I saw two men coming down and another coming up. Hearing their buddy's shout of alarm, they had come to help him out. They couldn't see me, but invisibility was useless when you were cornered. Turning on my heel, I was about to go the way I had just come from but stopped short when I saw the two men from before barreling toward me. They were yelling in Spanish at the others on the stairs, probably pointing out my invisible location.

Time to move! I chose the path with less resistance, which was downward. Jumping onto the staircase banister, I slid on my butt past the guard coming up. When I landed below with a loud thud, the guards heard the noise and rushed after me down the stairs.

"What on _earth_ is going on?" Vlad yelled angrily at the men as they nearly tumbled over themselves to get to me. He stood up from his chair to glare at Diego's men, flabbergasted by their seemingly ridiculous actions. Him and Aleksey were still in the main living room and hadn't been alerted to the fact that I was loose yet. That was to my advantage. If they could stay confused for just a second longer, I could have a chance.

Ignoring everyone around me, I sprinted across the living room and for the back staircase connected to the music room. I was still invisible, so nobody could see me. Unfortunately, Vlad wasn't deaf and he was quickly putting two and two together.

"Oh, no you don't, Daniel," he growled under his breath. He blindly threw an ecto blast in my direction. It was a lucky shot. For him, I mean. It was unlucky for the teen who caught the blast with his shoulder.

Yelping in surprise and pain, I spun out of control, slamming into the wall and losing my invisibility again. Scrambling back to my feet and snatching up my dropped knife, I continued my sprint into the music room despite the fact that about five men were seconds away from grabbing me. This escape was gonna be one heck of a close call.

Breathlessly, I rounded the corner to the stairwell and had to fall back onto my butt to stop myself in time before running right into Vlad Plasmius. Dismay crossed my face. This was so unfair! How'd he move so quickly?

All too late, my ghost sense went off. Without ghost powers, it was a useless ability.

"You're not being much a challenge this way, Daniel," Vlad growled down at me. He wasn't disappointed much. Just really, really angry.

I swallowed. Hard. I was too scared to say anything. Fear had completely locked up my mind. No matter how hard I tried to think ahead, some kind of oppressing wall stopped me from saying or doing anything besides sit there dumbly in front of my adversary.

"Where's Diego?" Vlad demanded as he menacingly towered over me. His voice was cold and sharp, making me wince.

Panting heavily, I dug my heels into the floor and pushed myself away from Vlad, answering in a shaky, weak voice, "He...in the wine cellar."

This was it. I was so dead! Vlad had warned me that another escape try would end in someone getting hurt. I didn't have the time to change my powers with the watch. I was finished. My debacle of a plan had blown up in my face, and it was time to suffer the consequences.

Vlad listlessly followed me as I made a feeble attempt to slid away from him. His narrowed, blood-red eyes pierced right through me, shriveling up and killing any kind hope of escape I had stored in my heart. Swallowing again in horror, I stared up at the man, waiting fearfully for the inevitable.

Without a word, Vlad grabbed a fist of the front of my shirt and yanked me to my feet. His grip, I swear, was meant to break bone as he latched onto my forearm and proceeded to drag me to the staircase. Before going up, he spat at Diego's men who had caught up, "Diego is in the cellar downstairs. Get him. I'll be with him in a moment. First, Daniel, here, needs to learn a lesson."

A/N: Ha ha! Cliffhanger! I'm so mean. Anyways, more action is planned to come! But I must warn you that I will probably not be able to update next week. First, there are midterms. Second, next week is Fall Fest (like homecoming) which is ongoing all week. Third, I got nominated as my brother floor's queen this year for Fall Fest. So I will be very busy with them, with my own floor, and studying for tests all this week. Fun stuff. If I can update next week, I will, but I probably won't be able to. Thanks for reading, though! See you readers later!


	24. Chapter 24 Dungeon Terrors

A/N: Ah! Fall break. Oh, how do I love thee! Good to finally have a few days to relax and write what I actually want to write. Been dying to write for Danny for like a whole week!

First, I need to say to the 60 or so readers who didn't get to read my edited copy of the last chapter, that I added one, tiny thing. When Danny took Diego's keys, he also took a syringe with liquid in it. Like a moron, I totally forgot to add that part when I posted the chapter. So I changed it quickly, but not without about 60 hits first. Sorry!

Second, this chapter has a scene that is a teeny weenie bit graphic, I guess you could say. I just like to warn those of you who are squeamish. Probably not that bad, though. I just like over reacting.

Lastly, thanks for all your reviews! I'll try hard to answer 'em this week 'cause I have the time for once with fall break being here! Enjoy the long chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own any Danny Phantom characters!

'Cause someone asked for this and I thought I'd be fun and helpful, I will now post a blip of what previously happened in the fic for all of those with memories as bad as mine. Makes me feel all professional. Here it goes!

Previously In Incommunicado: Desperate to escape from Vlad, help out Taj, and somehow gain the upper hand in this game these two half ghosts adversaries play, Danny tricked Diego into a dark wine cellar and knocked him out, stealing his keys and a mysterious syringe. Danny and Julie met via webcam on Taj's computer. Using her programing and hacker knowledge, Julie managed to give Danny his powers back, but only one power can be used at a time. We left our hero as his escape was unfortunately thwarted for like the billionth time in this fan fic by Vlad Plasmius. Danny now must face the consequences to his actions...

Chapter 24 Dungeon Terrors

Breathing hard with fear and from the aftereffects of an adrenaline rush, I stared up at Plasmius as he returned his attention to me. A dear in headlights is probably an appropriate way to define my state that second his sinister red eyes regarded me with cool distain. Whenever Vlad gave off that cold, frosty attitude, it was never a good sign. He was really angry. And an angry Vlad meant pain. Lots of pain.

"Drop the knife, Daniel," he ordered me sternly.

Knife? What knife? Suddenly realizing that I was still holding onto Toushiro's knife in my free hand, I looked down at it in surprise. Why hadn't I used it earlier?

A yelp of pain escaped me as Vlad applied more pressure to his grip on my forearm. He shoved his face into my grimacing one and commanded for the last time, "Drop it. Now."

Quickly, I let go of the knife as if it was burning hot, watching it clank against the floor as Vlad whisked me up the stairs. His grasp on my forearm was excruciating, but the man wasn't about to let up on me. Gritting my teeth against the pain, I tried to stay at Vlad's brisk pace. My mind raced and panicked the entire trip.

What was he going to do with me? What was he going to do with my friends? What if he was going to kill Toushiro? It was possible. He threatened to do so. I couldn't allow that! I don't think I could cope afterwards if that ever happened! I needed to do something! Anything! I had ghost powers now. I needed to use them! Think! I had to think straight!

As we began going up the second staircase to the third floor, I managed to string a coherent thought together. I had to keep fighting. Yes, I was terrified out of my mind of what could happen to me and my friends, but I needed to pull myself together if I wanted myself and others to survive. So what first? What did I have for advantage or in my arsenal? I just didn't have the time to think! I needed more time!

Stall him! I had to do that now!

Fighting against Vlad's pull for the first time since he grabbed me, I reached out and latched onto the handrail to the stair's banister like a leech onto its unfortunate host. We were abruptly jerked to a stop. Vlad glared down at me as he fiercely tried to yank me away from the railing. Grunting in protest, I dug my heels into the carpet and stood my ground.

"Let go," Vlad growled with impatience. He was probably ready to waste me right then and there. I was running out of time. Yeah right. Like I had time in the first place. This was crazy!

"No! Lemme go!" I shouted back. My demand sounded weak to me. Fear had put a quiver in my voice.

Now which number was intangibility? Two? No, wait. One? Oh, come on! I just memorized it! How could I forget now?

Winging it because panic and desperation had taken over my mind and body, I suddenly let go of the railing. The move was unexpected. Plasmius fell backwards, bringing both of us to the ground. While he was distracted, I quickly unlocked the watch face before turning it to one o' clock. As I was trying to push down on the face to activate the power, though, it was already too late.

"What the _hell_ do you think you're doing?" Plasmius hissed at me as he yanked me to my feet, making sure I couldn't touch my watch with my free hand. He dragged me up the rest of the stairs and into the hallway, asking me in a furious shout, "Have you been messing with your watch? Look at me, boy, when I'm talking to you! Tell me what you've been doing!"

"Nothing!" I lied with just as much fury. Flashes of pain cut up my arm as I wiggled unsuccessfully in Vlad's tight hold.

"Lying will only get you so far, boy," Vlad spat into my face as he brought me close. "Your fear makes you an open book, and it's obvious you're hiding something from me, Daniel. Now tell me what you've done to your watch, or I swear I'll-."

Sick of listening to his threats, I flung myself at the nearby wall without warning. The element of surprise was all I needed that moment as I put all my weight and strength into slamming my watch against the wall. The watch face finally complied to my wishes, sinking in and triggering my switch to another ghost power.

Pins and needles burst up my arm like a wave of agony. My eyes squeezed shut as I slumped to the ground, the violent, quick pain of my ghost genes getting scrambled hitting me hard. Still holding my forearm, Plasmius stood over me in confusion and outrage.

"What did you _do_?"

His crisp, piercing tone made me flinch instinctively, but I was already recovering from the pain and preparing for what needed to be done next as I looked up at Plasmius. Tiny smirk on my lips, I told him with brute honestly, "I just totally outsmarted your butt."

That said, I lunged forward with a battle cry. In my free hand was the syringe I'd stolen from Diego with its protective cap off the needle. Piercing through clothing and skin, I plunged the needle deep into Vlad's thigh and pumped all the clear liquid into the man's body without any ounce of remorse.

Just the opposite happened, actually. A sweet kind of revenge flashed through me the moment I saw the look of surprise, rage, and pain on Vlad's face. For the briefest of moments, I wanted badly to revel in that feeling of retribution. So many times I'd been drugged by the man, I thought I deserved to relish in my revenge. But as I stared up into the tight face of Plasmius as he struggled to focus on me and stay awake with as much sleeping drugs in his system to kill a cow, I felt sick with myself. I didn't want revenge. I didn't want to hurt anyone. An eye for an eye wasn't my motto. No. What I wanted was freedom from this man. Freedom. That's all.

"Sweet dreams," I mumbled halfheartedly into Vlad's ear before phasing through his grip on my forearm. Glaring at me as if he wanted to set me on fire and watch me burn, Plasmius leaned against the wall as his body was forced to succumb to the drugs. He'd be asleep pretty soon.

Without another word, I turned away and ran down the hallway, heading for Taj's room. The guard by the door stiffened when he saw me come near. I ignored him, phasing right through his chest and the room's door to get past. Bursting through the other side, I scared the crap out of both Taj and his personal guard.

Screaming like a girl at my arrival, Taj fell off his precarious perch on a table. Why the kid didn't use his bed to sit on, I will never know. The startled guard in the room gave a sharp yelp when he saw me. He rushed to his feet as I raced across the room for Taj as if getting to him was getting to home base in a baseball game.

"Danny! H-how-?" Taj exclaimed as I snatched his wrist and yanked him to his feet beside me.

"No time! We gotta get out of here!" I told him in a rush, turning intangible so the guard now upon Taj and I couldn't touch us. I gave the man an evil smirk as he continued to swipe his hands through our faded forms, his jaw hitting the floor in astonishment. It was almost laughable.

Practically dragging Taj toward the door, I asked over my shoulder, "Is there anything you need before we leave? A map? Notes from your bag?"

"Um...no?" Taj said. He didn't sound so sure of himself although he added, "It's safer to keep important stuff memorized in my head."

"Good. That gives us more time," I said, phasing us through the wall into the hallway. Hastily, I peeked into the rooms on the third floor by sticking my head through the walls until I found what I was looking for. It was the third room I tried that held Toushiro and his men. They were all tied up with rope and handcuffs to pieces of furniture and were gagged to keep silent so as to prevent them from talking and planning anything together. For the most part they looked bored and hungry. None of them were really roughed up, so that was good.

"Come on," I ordered Taj as we entered the room. "We gotta free Toushiro and his guys before we go. Here, start untying that dude over there first. Work fast. We don't have much time before Diego's men catch up with us."

"Aren't these guys supposed to be after me?" Taj asked, reluctantly bending down next to one of Toushiro's men who was tied to one of the legs of a table.

"Yeah, but they're innocent men that Vlad's been using to manipulate me," I explained. "If we can free them, it will benefit all of us." A small, forced smile flittered across my face as I kneeled down beside Toushiro who was tethered to a bed leg. I phased away his gag for him to talk as I asked, "Are you okay, dude?"

Toushiro wasn't focused on me. He was staring at Taj as if the boy was going to melt all our brains to mush at any second. It was Taj's tattoo that probably gave his identity away. Alarm was in the man's voice as he said, "I'm fine, kid, but what the hell are you doing with Nice? This kid is dangerous, Danny!"

"I know! I know!" I grumbled back impatiently. "But I'm helping him, alright? So deal with it for just a sec as I free you and get you and your men out of his crazy jungle."

"Alright. Fine. I trust you, kiddo," he sighed in frustration. Poor man was probably so confused, I really couldn't blame him. "You have a plan, though, right?" Toushiro asked me as I leaned around to phase his rope binds off him.

"Truthfully, no," I answered honestly. "I messed up and panicked, so I'm making this up as I go. Hold still as I-."

"Danny!"

The ectoplasm ray hit me in the back, sending me airborne before landing on my side and rolling into the wall. My head spun after such a harsh impact, threatening to be taken away by darkness. Pushing against the comforting black blanket of unconsciousness, I strove to get to my hands and knees while watching the scene unfold.

I didn't know how he'd managed it, but Vlad was there. There was also one pissed off Diego entering the room with his gun drawn. The two were backed up by a handful of Diego's men. They didn't look too confident as they tentatively stepped inside. Maybe all my invisibility and phasing through them had frightened them a bit.

As if I didn't exist, Vlad went straight for Taj who had jumped onto the bed and was backing away from the man to stall his capture. Diego's mission was me. He walked briskly toward me with his pistol aimed purposefully at my chest. He meant business. I didn't like the frown on his face. There was a quiet ferocity in his dark eyes.

Hope draining, I watched as Diego came near. What else could I do? I'd just make things worse at this point. That's all I ever did. Every time I tried to escape, I always blundered it somehow and made my situation more dire than it needed to be. Maybe this time I needed to go quietly. It would go against every bone in my body, but maybe that was for the best.

Good thing Toushiro hadn't given up like I had. He timed it perfectly as he struck out with a leg and kicked Diego's feet right out from under him when he passed by the Japanese man to get to me. Diego hit the ground, and Toushiro pounced like a panther as he pinned the man's arms against his sides with his legs. Toushiro didn't even need to use his cuffed hands to keep Diego on the ground.

Was it too late to ask for Toushiro's autograph?

In the few free seconds he had before Diego's men got a hold of him and dragged him off their leader, Toushiro shouted at me, "Go, Danny! Take Taj and go now! If you don't, we're all going to be screwed! So get out of here, kid!"

A decision had to be made in a split second. Either I could get out of there with Taj but leave Toushiro behind to suffer, or I could be the fair hero by staying and letting us all suffer the consequences. I couldn't hesitate. I didn't have the time to think. At that point, it was just action.

Nodding in quick thanks, I scrambled to my unsteady feet and bolted for a cornered Taj. Vlad turned when he saw me coming, but he couldn't stop me as I phased right through him, grabbed Taj, and sprinted through the wall with him in tow. Taj stumbled into me as I slammed on my brakes. Moving on pure instinct, I let my body lose contact with the floor. Taj and I phased through the ground and dropped into the room below before Vlad could catch up with us.

Landing in a crouch, I tightened my grip on Taj's wrist and ran right through a bed before phasing through the wall into the next room. Taj awkwardly blundered behind me, trying his best to keep up with me and me tugging him around in random directions.

"Damn it!" I hissed more to myself than to Taj as I pulled him through another wall. We needed to stay out of Vlad's sight, so that meant we'd have to book it. "He split himself in two again! He had to have!"

"Danny?"

I ignored Taj as I tried to think things through. "It's totally unfair!" I continued my whispered diatribe. "He could have multiple clones around the house even now!"

"Danny."

"Crap. Crap! Stupid! I'm so stupid!"

"_D-Danny!_"

"_What?_" I finally snapped in response. The second I said it I regretted ever opening my mouth. Just because I was stressed didn't give me the excuse to act like a jerk toward Taj. He didn't deserve to be my scape goat.

"You're hurting me," Taj said evenly, glancing down at my hold on his wrist.

"Taj...I'm...I'm sorry," I said, scrambling for adequate words of apology as I slowed down so we could talk.

"You're s-stressed," he said quietly. "I understand. And I'm s-sorry about leaving Toushiro behind; but if we're going to es-escape, we have to get s-supplies first. We need food and water."

Thank God someone had their head on straight.

"You're right," I said, nodding. Picking up my pace again, I ran to Toushiro's old room where all our stuff was. I grabbed my backpack, Taj's bag, another one of Toushiro's knives, and the watch's manual with my only free hand. There was no way I was gonna let Taj go. Shoving his bag into his free hand, I told him, "Here, hold this. Sorry about your broken computer. That was my fault. Now, let's get to the kitchen before Vlad wises up. Going down."

Taj gave a small yelp as we sunk into the floor and fell into the room below. He landed ungracefully despite the warning, falling to his butt. Shaking my head in exasperation, I lugged the teen to his feet before heading for the kitchen. Entering the room, my eyes quickly scanned the area and the doors before I ordered, "Let's start with the fridge. You can be my eyes. And no matter what, don't let go of me."

"W-why?" Taj asked as I flung open the fridge doors and started grabbing water bottles.

"Toushiro just sacrificed himself for you," I told him as I worked quickly. Every one of my limbs felt weak and heavy, and a thick layer of sweat clung to my skin; nonetheless, I pushed through the pains of my physical state with the help of well-honed determination and adrenaline. Whatever I could find that didn't need to be heated and could stand being outside for a few hours, I shoved into my or Taj's bag. I moved onto a cabinet where I found more luck with dried food, saying over my shoulder, "Not to make you alarmed or guilty, Taj, but I'm risking a lot for you. I'm not escaping without you, so you better stick close to me and not get nabbed by Vlad, or we're both doomed. Got that?" Quickly, I added, "And don't say you're sorry."

"Um...yeah?" Taj said with debatable understanding.

"You think this is enough food for a few days out in the jungle?" I asked.

"I certainly hope so," Taj said, eyes wide. He probably wasn't used to so much food. This amount was a feast to him. Swallowing his fear, he asked, "You okay with stealing that much?"

"Are you?" I said, raising my eyebrows in surprise. Seriously, how could he feel guilty about this? We were trying to survive here, and he was upset over stealing more food than necessary from our enemy? I did not understand Taj.

Blinking because he was startled by me turning the question around on him, Taj had to think about his answer. I stared at him, giving him time to respond because I was honestly curious. Finally, Taj shook his head slowly, saying as if it was very new to him, "N-no. I d-don't think so."

"Good, 'cause I'm not giving it back," I said, chuckling a little as I bent down to zip up my backpack.

"Danny!"

It was the only warning I needed. Looking up sharply, I turned Taj and I intangible just in time. The ectoplasm blast hit the floor instead of us, making a crater in the wooden paneling behind us. Green smoke and dust filled the air as I grabbed my backpack off the floor, slung it over my shoulder, and rounded the center island to keep a piece of furniture between Vlad and us.

"I don't know how you managed to get your intangibility ability back, Daniel," Vlad growled as he floated farther into the room in his ghost form, "But it's obvious it's taking its toll on you. Eventually you're going to make a mistake, and that's when I'll attack. You won't last much longer in the state you're in, boy. Better for you to cease this ludicrous game of chase now before you hurt yourself more than you already have."

His red eyes bore right through me as if they were reaching into my very soul and turning it into icy fear. It took all my will power and strength to stand there and take it. Took even more to defy it.

"You're just pissed, Vlad, that my escape is all because of your pride," I told the man with a wobbly voice. "You couldn't deny giving me a little freedom because you never thought I'd be smart enough to beat you. Well, you made a mistake. You underestimated me, and you were wrong."

Vlad's anger briefly overwhelmed him, and he released a barrage of ectoplasm rays at Taj and I. Gritting my teeth, I willed both of us intangible so that his rays were simply a loud and smoky nuisance as they hit the sink behind us and the cabinets. Taj squeezed his eyes shut in fright, clinging to my arm as if he expected to get blasted away at any second.

When the smoke cleared, Taj and I were still standing tall. Vlad silently glowered in front of us. He knew he couldn't do anything to stop me now, and boy did it infuriate him.

Panting from the effort of using my limiting powers, I stared Vlad boldly in the eyes as I said, "It's been fun, fruit loop, but I'm leaving."

That said, I shot forward with Taj in tow. We ran through the island, Vlad, and the wall beyond. As we sprinted through walls and furniture, I unlocked the watch one last time, turning it to two. The second we burst through the last wall of the house and arrived outside, I slammed down on the watch face to active the new power. The new pain made me stumble across the porch and grip the railing, trying to regain my strength for a second.

"D-d y-you need to rest?" Taj asked me in a terrified squeak.

"No. No time. Grab my wrists, hold on tight, and close your eyes," I ordered him in a rush. My hands were shaking as Taj did as I told him. Without wasting another second of precarious time, I unlocked the holds of gravity around my body and blasted into the golden, sunset sky. The descending red sun on the horizon seemed to be my goal as I flew above the canopy of thick trees for miles. With my final bits of strength waning, I pressed on as fast as I could until the last bit of dying rays of sun melted away and darkness captured the land.

Slowly, I flew down through the trees until we were finally at the pitch-black jungle floor. I set Taj down first before landing on unsteady feet and collapsing to my hands and knees. Sounding like he wanted to barf, Taj dropped to his knees beside me and made dry heaving noises. He really didn't like this flying thing, did he?

"Sorry about that," I whispered tiredly as I fell onto my side. There was no more energy to keep myself upright anymore. I couldn't even stay awake. It was a struggle to keep myself in reality as I rolled onto my back.

"I'm fine," Taj muttered. "I'm not so sure about you, though. Are you going to be okay, Danny?"

"I just need to sleep."

"Um...that's p-probably n-not a good idea!" Taj squawked in concern.

"Why?"

"You're way too close to me! Your n-nightmares will be really bad!"

A pause unfolded between us as I struggled to stay awake. It was way too hard. I wasn't strong enough to keep up this battle between the dream world and the real one all night.

"Danny! D-did you hear me?" Taj yelled in alarm.

"Yeah," I whispered as I slowly faded off. "I can't...help it. I'm so...so tired. So tired..."

The second I was out, I was up again. Blinking slowly awake as my energy returned, I noticed that my surroundings had changed. Sitting up groggily, I looked around in surprise and confusion. Everything was new.

The room I was in was cold, dark, and dank. A lone and very small flickering flame from a candle set beside me was trying pathetically to illuminate the room. It was doing a pretty crummy job. All I could make out was that the walls, floor, and ceiling were made out of rough stones that zapped the warmth right out of me. There was a wooden door on one wall. It was the only way out.

"Where the heck am I?" I grumbled as I got to my feet.

Scratching my aching head, I looked around for any other details I hadn't seen when I was on the floor. There was an extra candle stick beside the nearly finished one in the holder. There were also a box of matches.

Careful not to burn my fingers, I took the old candle out of the holder, put the new one in, and lit it with a flick of a match. My light ready, I strode toward the door to explore my new environment.

As I slowly and carefully opened the door and looked up and down the hallway beyond the room, I wondered how'd I gotten there. Was it Vlad? Had he captured Taj and I when I'd passed out back in the jungle? Man, how long had I been out? This was bad. Very bad.

In my fear, I swiftly glanced at my watch as if to draw reassurance from it giving me my ghost powers. My heart jammed itself in my throat when I saw that it wasn't broken anymore. The cracked glass was fixed. No. Oh no! My powers were gone!

Swearing under my breath, I tried to endure the sick churn of my stomach as I kept walking down the winding and confusing hallways. There were a few wooden doors along the way, but they were locked whenever I tried to open them. It was a pretty spooky and dark place wherever I had winded up. Felt like a dungeon. Every turn I took led me deeper into a creepy unknown.

After what seemed like an hour of wandering aimlessly around in the dark, I rounded a corner and saw a light at the end of the hallway. Hope rising in my chest, I picked up my pace and ran for the light spilling out of the open door. My hollow footfalls echoed off the stone walls as I ran. Sliding to a stop at the door, I peered expectantly inside.

The sight that greeted me was far beyond horrifying.

It was Toushiro's body. It was spiraled out across the room's floor. Deep, ragged cuts zig-zagged every inch of his skin to the point that I could see muscle and even bone in some places. He laid lifelessly in his own thick puddle of blood. His faded green eyes stared out at nothing. They were dead. Toushiro was dead.

"No. No. It can't-. Oh - oh, god!" I whimpered before doubling over and vomiting my guts out. Shaking uncontrollably, I got to my feet and took a step backwards. I couldn't stand looking at the sight anymore. To protect my breaking heart and my shattering sanity, I needed to get out of there.

My back hit something that wasn't the stone wall as I took another step back. Gasping, I dropped my candle holder. Hot wax mixed with my lunch on the floor. My light was instantly extinguished.

"This was your punishment for your disobedience, Daniel," Vlad told me coldly from behind.

I couldn't move. I was so scared. The only thing I could do was stand there with my eyes wide and my breathe coming out as short, panicked bursts.

Putting a hand on my shoulder, Vlad leaned down to say into my ear, "This was only half of your punishment. Now it's time to pay the price for your foolishness."

A shudder slithered down my spine as I glanced to my side and looked Vlad in the eyes. The wolfish glint in his red stare was the most terrifying look I'd ever seen Vlad express. It took the will right out of me.

Viciously fast, Vlad had my arm in his grip and he was dragging me away from the room. My compliance lasted for only a second. Something in my eventually snapped, and I pulled away from him, clawing at his hand like a rabid animal fighting for its life once caught in a bear trap.

"You killed him!" I screamed. "You killed Toushiro! I hate you! Let me go, dammit!"

Vlad let me shout profanities and words of loathing at him as I wiggled fruitlessly in his grip until he finally got impatient. In a split second, he had my back rammed up against the stone wall. Although I could hardly breathe or move with Vlad's forearm pressed so tightly against my chest, I still hissed angrily into his face that he shoved close to mine.

If I could have, I would have killed Vlad that very second.

With a deadly smirk, Vlad spat into my face, "I wasn't the one who killed Toushiro. Yes, I physically killed him, but that's all because of you, Daniel. Yes, you! You were the one who, despite all my warnings, went against my wishes and put all your friends in danger. I've said it once, and I'll say it again. Consequences! All your actions have them! And like the prideful, silly superhero you've always pretended to be, you decided to ignore them. You knew Toushiro would die, and yet you still went against me. It's not my fault he's dead. It's yours! All yours!"

Tears welled up in my eyes as pain of guilt and loss overtook me. They spilled down my cheeks as Vlad slowly let me slide down the wall, grabbed my arm again, and led me deeper into his dungeon. I was in too much of a shock to go against him. It was all my fault Toushiro was dead. My fault.

We arrived at a room with a roaring fireplace on the far wall and a table with leather straps on it sitting in the middle. The second I saw the table with its confining straps, I knew something bad and painful was about to happen. There was no way in hell I was going to willing allow Vlad to tie me to that table!

Panic fueled me as I once again fought against Vlad's grip. It was no use in the end. As if I was simply a fussy, little kid, Vlad dragged me into the room, picked me up, and slammed me roughly onto the table. With deft fingers, he fastened the first leather belt around my forearm so that it was good and tight. I was gasping in fear at this point, pleading for Vlad to let me go between hyperventilating breaths. He ignored my every word, preferring to work silently as he walked around the table and secured my other arm down before tying my chest down too.

Walking over the roaring fireplace, Vlad picked up a long rod of iron with some kind of design at the end. The metal was red hot from sitting in the coals for so long. Slowly and meticulously, Vlad walked back to where I was squirming on the table.

"A few centuries ago, branding was used mostly to mark criminals and slaves," Vlad told me as he studied the branding iron he leisurely turned in his hands above my head. "It was to set those people apart from the rest of the human world. Now branding is predominately used for cattle so as to tell who's cow belongs to who."

"No! Please no, Vlad! Don't do this!" I pleaded desperately with the man. Didn't take a genius to figure out what he wanted to do with that branding iron to me.

"One day, Daniel. One day you'll understand my actions. You're not like the other humans on his world, and you will soon belong to me. This is the only logical course of action," Vlad told me placidly. There was no regret or remorse on his face as he serenely looked down at me. He was crazy!

"No. No," was all I could whimper as Vlad grabbed my hand to keep me still. My eyes followed the branding iron as it slowly but surely lowered toward my exposed right forearm. Vlad hovered the iron above my tingling skin for a brief second before plunging the symbol into my skin.

At first, I felt nothing. There was a moment where all I could do was stare at my burning flesh in sheer disbelief. Then the pain came. Hit me mercilessly. It was one of the most excruciating kinds of pain I'd ever felt. Squeezing my eyes shut, I let out a long scream. It was almost too much for my brain to handle.

Tears were sliding down my face as Vlad brought his head close to mine and whispered in wicked triumph into my ear, "You're mine, Daniel."

This was too much.

"_DANNY!"_

Blinking, I found myself in completely different surroundings. I was on the moist jungle floor, staring up at the tree leaves. Although it was hardly the crack of dawn, the air was unbearable hot and humid. Taj was kneeling next to me, fear and concern all over his distraught face as he kept roughly shaking my shoulder.

A dream. It was all just a dream.

But the pain from the branding was still there. Rolling onto my side, I gripped the place where I'd been branded, curled up into a ball, and sobbed. I couldn't help it. So much physical and emotion pain had hit me in that nightmare. It had felt so real. I still couldn't get over all the feelings, so I just cried. Cried like a freaking baby. It was weak. It was sad. It was pathetic. It was all I could do.

Sighing half in relief that I was awake and half in sadness, Taj reached out and touched my shoulder. He didn't have to say anything. He just squeezed my shoulder to share his understanding. He fully knew my fear, sorrow, and pain.

If Taj hadn't been there, I don't know what I'd do with myself. Just knowing someone was on my side who understood exactly what I was going through gave me the small amount of courage needed to gather myself and my scattered pieces back together and face reality. Don't get me wrong. Took me at least a half an hour to get a grip on myself again, but the important part was that I eventually did it.

Heaving a heavy sigh, I said quietly to Taj, "I'm sick of this."

"Me too," Taj said. He knew that I was talking about all the crap we have to go through to protect ourselves, the people we loved, and somehow keep our morals and sanity at the same time. It was a tough job. And it would last for the rest of our lives.

"I'm sorry," I said. It was all I could think of to say

"Now you sound like me," Taj said, a smile in his voice. I glanced up at him, and, low and behold, a small, sad smile was on his lips as he regarded me in silence. Despite all that had happened, I laughed. Just kinda bubbled out of me, so I just went with the feeling. It took a second or two, but Taj began to chuckle as well.

Not exactly sure why we were laughing, but it felt good.

At last, I sat up beside Taj and released another sigh. Turning to my friend, I said to him confidently, "Let's go find this fortuneteller."

Handing me a banana and a bottle of water, Taj told me with a guilty smile but in a firm voice, "First, you should eat some breakfast. You're as pale as a ghost."

"Dude, that was so lame," I chuckled.

A/N: Woo! That was fun! Been wanting to write that dream sequence for awhile now. To finally have it out of my system is such a good feeling! And I am so morbid. Ha ha!

Just as a side note, I'm weird and designate random songs to my writing pieces or to my own characters. I'd been searching for a long while for a song for this fan fic, and I finally found one! _White Knuckles_ by OkGo. Awesome band. Awesome song. Fits Danny's disposition perfectly in this fic, I must say. Yes, I'm odd. Don't judge me.

Anyways, I'll be back with another exciting chapter next weekend! Later, guys!


	25. Chapter 25 Tribal Hospitality

A/N: Gah! I am SO sorry for not updating in three weeks! I just got swamped with homework, visited California to the school I'm transferring to next semester, and then got way behind in homework again this week. Sheesh. So much stuff to do. Hopefully, I'll get caught up this weekend. Anyways, there are my excuses. They are legit, and I'm sticking to them. But feel free to yell at me and complain. I will not blame you. Three weeks is a long time. But here is the chapter! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Again, I don't own anything Danny Phantom.

Previously In Incommunicado: Because of Julie's manipulation of the watch, Danny was able to use his powers to escape with Taj from the house. They had to leave Toushiro behind, though. Exhausted from escaping, Danny passed out beside Taj in the middle of the jungle. In his nightmare, Vlad had brutally killed Toushiro and branded Danny in the ultimate symbolism of owning the teen. Taj then woke Danny up, and they both shared a bonding moment before deciding to find the oracle lady and her tribe in the jungle.

Chapter 25 Tribal Hospitality

"How did you get your powers back?" Taj asked as we walked and ate lunch. For the past six hours it seemed like we had been wandering aimlessly around in the jungle, but Taj swore he knew where he was heading. Sick of being a leader and worrying about everything, I decided to just trust him and deal with it if we were lost. We had enough food for a few days anyways.

Who knew? Maybe we'd get lucky. Right. Who was I kidding? We were never lucky. I was worried beyond belief, but it wasn't like I was going to show it in front of Taj.

Chewing on my mushy apple, I told him excitedly, "Oh, I forgot to tell you! It was Julie!"

"Julie?" Taj asked in wonder.

"That girl's a genius," I said. Taking another bite of my disgusting apple, I explained the entire story of knocking Diego out, stealing his keys, and running into Julie on Taj's computer. Taj listened attentively, probably because it concerned his best friend. A smile touched his lips whenever I mentioned her silly strangeness.

"She's worried about you," I finished at last.

"I know," Taj said with a shy, sad smile.

I offered a smile back but remained silent. I wasn't going to talk girl issues with Taj. For many years it bugged me when people assumed Sam and I were together because I'd seen her as just a good friend at the time. That wasn't the way I saw her now, but I remember it took awhile for me to get to that point. Taj probably needed that time without being teased. I wished him and Julie well, though.

"So you think we're going in the right direction?" I asked Taj for like the hundredth time.

"Yes," he answered as he glanced at the compass in his hand just to make sure. "If Julie's directions are correct, we should be only 15 miles or so away from the tribe the fortune teller belongs to right now."

Stopping briefly to dig a small hole in the dirt with my foot so I could hide my uneaten apple core, I asked, "How do you think this tribe will react to us, anyways?"

"I'm not sure, honestly," Taj admitted, fidgeting with the strap of his bag in his nervousness. "They like to stay remote. They might not like strangers like us."

"But if people know about this fortuneteller, then people from the outside must have visited her from time to time," I mused aloud. Taj nodded in agreement. Frowning, I said slowly and carefully, "I think Vlad met her."

Taj stopped walking for a split second. Surprised by this sudden revelation, he glanced over at me expectantly.

"Last year when we were in Tokyo, Vlad and I had a weird conversation about people with supernatural abilities," I said without looking at Taj. "He mentioned a handful of people he was interested in, and one of them was a fortuneteller in Ecuador who predicted his future for him. Some of those fortunes came true. This might be the same woman."

"Why didn't you tell me this sooner?" Taj asked incredulously.

"I...I didn't want to give your hopes up," I muttered, ashamed now that I'd kept it to myself for so long. "Jeez, I feel like a jerk now. I'm sorry, Taj."

Taj stared at me for a long time before giving a heavy sigh and saying, "I understand. I would have done the same."

"Really?" I asked with a grin. "You? Being secretive? I never would have guessed."

Taj shot me a pretend flat look at my sarcasm before breaking out into a grin. He was slowly getting used to me, I think. I could tell by his short-lived smiles he allowed himself every once in a while when I said something outrageous or sarcastic. At the same time, I was getting comfortable with Taj's odd personality. He was unusually quiet until you asked him enough questions. Then he unfolded, turning into a logical and very moral kind of guy. He knew exactly what he was fighting for and what were the right and wrong methods towards getting it. I liked that about Taj. You don't see many teens my age with that strong of an ethical code these days. It was kinda refreshing to talk to him about it all.

An hour after lunch, we decided we had to be close to whatever tribe the fortuneteller lived in. Though it felt good to be getting somewhere and laying down some progress, I still felt skeptical and paranoid. This turn of events was unnatural. Neither Taj and I were ever this lucky; therefore, I decided we didn't have much time before Vlad caught up with us. He had a whole team of men at his disposal and some of his own clones. Wouldn't take them long to find us. I half expected Vlad or Diego to burst out of the next set of trees and tackle us to the ground. It was a bad feeling, and it was screwing up what was supposed to be excitement.

As the afternoon wore on, the jungle floor turned dark and miserably wet as a rain storm hit us. The forest floor had turned into a giant mud pit. If it was hard traversing the jungle when it was dry, it was ten times harder when the earth was mushy and soft underfoot. Every raindrop was fat and cold. The steady flow slowed us considerably. It came to a point where Taj and I could hardly see five feet in front of us.

Feeling like a pair of drowning rats, Taj and I pushed on through the rain. We couldn't afford to pause because of the sky's gloomy mood. We needed to find this place sooner than later. So we kept going and kept talking.

Pushing a lock of wet hair out of my face, I asked Taj above the downpour, "So...those nightmares people get when around you. Have any of them...um...well, come true?"

Taj glanced back at me, eyes studying my face closely as he pondered his answer. He kept his stare on me as he said cautiously, "I don't know. My mother never allowed me to wake her up when she had one, but she never woke up with anything physically permanent, if that's what you mean. Mentally? I'm...I'm afraid that's a different story."

Rubbing the place on my inner forearm as if it still hurt where I'd gotten branded in my dream, I watched Taj look down at his shoes as if his mind had been transported to an entirely different place. I felt guilty for asking him. The guy always looked so sad whenever he was reminded of his past.

Something suddenly stung my shoulder. Curing the pesky mosquitoes with a hiss, I lifted my hand to slap the nasty creature. I stopped just in time as I saw that it wasn't a bug that had attacked me. It was a tiny dart.

"Huh," I said, confused. How'd I get that?

"W-what's that?" Taj asked, having to shout fearfully over the rain as he pointed to the dart still lodged in my shoulder.

"I don't know," I said. Wincing, I pulled the little piece of sharp wood out of me and rolled it between my finger and thumb. Looking up at Taj, I pointed at him and exclaimed, "You have one too, dude. In your _neck_."

Alarmed, Taj lifted a tentative hand to feel the dart in his neck. That's when the powerful wave of dizziness hit me. It sent me straight to my butt. No warning. One moment I was standing and coherent; the next, I was sitting in the mud and hardly able to string a lucid thought together. I knew Taj was bending over me and yelling my name, but everything else wasn't making itself clear to me.

Then Taj's voice was gone. I knew he was nearby, but he had stopped talking. Despite the fact this kinda worried me, I kept sitting and staring ahead. It was all I could do in that state of muddled mind.

That's when our attackers revealed themselves. Slowly and silently, they came out from behind trees and ventured closer. They were natives to the land. It was obvious by their tan skin, dark hair, and lack of clothing material. Loin clothes and monkey tooth necklaces seemed to be the popular fashion trend. All of them were lithe, strong men who walked the jungle floor so swiftly and silently, I could have sworn they were half deer. There had to be a dozen or so of them. In seconds, they had Taj and I surrounded.

Fear spiked through me, clearing my head just enough for me to react when their leader pointed to the passed out Taj and ordered them to pick him up. "No. Don't...don't touch...him," I said slowly, latching onto one man's forearm. He grunted at me, throwing me off him as if I was a lame puppy. I landed ungracefully on my side, slipping on the pasty mud. A few men laughed at my unfortunate state.

Gasping for breath, I fought through my hazy head and managed to get to my unsteady feet. "No! Taj!" I cried out as I watched the men tie my friend up and began to carry him off into the jungle like some hunting trophy. "Let...let him go!"

Hands roughly grabbed me, preventing me from following Taj. I slipped on the mud in my struggle to get free and fell to the ground, practically bringing half the guys holding me down with me. Yelling at me in some strange language I'd never heard before, they yanked me back to my feet and held me upright as the leader stuck his curious face into mine.

His dark, narrowed eyes studied my face as if he was searching for something important in my mystified expression. His big, flat nose was covered with odd piercings. With a rough, calloused hand, he moved my head from side to side, grunting a few times as he saw something that interested him. I didn't know what the heck was going on. Panting, drenched in rainwater and mud, and shivering from the cold, all I could do was stare fearfully back.

Suddenly, the man said something, nodded, then shoved some kind of foul-smelling substance under my nose. All it took was one whiff of whatever it was and I was out. My limbs went lax, my head lolled backward, and I blacked out with the sound of the rain falling and the men's laughter still ringing in my ears.

_Snap!_

Blinking dizzily, I slowly woke up with some odd yet sickly sweet smell washing over my senses. I hate coming to. It's one of the worst feelings. The confusion, the feeling of vulnerability while you were out cold. Those are never good things, yet somehow I'd been experiencing the knocking out and coming to feeling quite a lot the past few days. Each time it was new. Each time it was horrible.

And they just kept on getting worse, by the looks of it.

Giving a groggy and dreaded groan, I decided to face whatever reality I'd been stuck with since passing out. Cracking my eyes open, I noticed that I was in some kind of clearing of a tribe village. In the distance were small, open huts on stilts with thatched roofs. The only beds were home-made hammocks.

Seemed like the whole tribe was there to watch me. Men, women, and children crowded around the small clearing of what looked like a center point of their village, talking in mumbles in their strange language as they pointed at me and someone to my side. A quick right glance and I noticed that an unconscious Taj was strung to a pole beside me. We were both tied to our poles with sturdy rope; one end was wrapped around our wrists, and the other end was attached to the top of the tall pole, making it so our arms were pulled above our heads.

The entire village scene and its people were like those beautiful pictures you see in National Geographic. The pictures seemed to be popping out of the magazine with all this exotic, untouched rainforest tribal stuff. The only difference was the fact that none of those pictures had ever captured the rawness and fear of my reality. Of course, none of those photographers were ever strung to a pole for some kind of voodoo BBQ ceremony or whatever.

I watched as the leader of the group that had captured us in the jungle walked up to Taj with some kind of rock in his hands. He lifted the stone to Taj's nose and broke it in half.

_Snap!_

With a groan, Taj slowly woke up and shook his fuzzy head. Painfully quick and sudden, things hit him, and his eyes snapped open in fear. In only seconds, he was gasping for breath as he wildly took in his surroundings. His face blanched when he spotted me in the same situation next to him.

"H-how long have I b-been out?" he asked shakily.

Testing my tight and secure binds around my wrists with a curse, I told him, "I don't know, man. I just woke up. I'm just as confused as you. All I know is that we gotta get out of here. Any ideas?"

Taj squeezed his eyes shut, trying to calm himself down with whatever yoga breathing techniques from before, but he quickly failed. "Oh, m-man," he breathed in anxiety. "You d-d-don't think they're cannibals, d-do you, D-danny?"

"Hey, ha ha, no! They...no. They can't be cannibals. Our luck isn't _that_ bad. Don't think like that, Taj," I said with a nervous, unbelieving laugh. Taj shot me a look filled with alarm. He didn't believe me either. My stomach knotted so tightly in my fear and apprehension that I almost threw up. What if they really did plan to eat us? Just what had I gotten myself into?

Things turned for the worse as the leader guy from before started to make a speech to the tribe. I couldn't understand a thing except for the fact that he was very passionate about whatever he was talking on. I assumed it was about Taj and I since he kept pointing adamantly at us. The tribe people nodded in agreement, sometimes voicing it in loud shouts and cheers. Oh, this didn't look so good. Panicking sounded like a decent option at this point.

"Um...y-your ghost p-powers," Taj said, swallowing multiple times to keep his voice from shaking. "Can...um...can y-you use them?"

Grunting as I strained against the ropes biting painfully into my wrists, I glanced up in high hopes that I could see my watch and maybe be able to turn it. Why hadn't I changed it back to intangibility while I had the chance? Flying wasn't going to do much for me at the moment.

"Jeez, what are these guys? Boy scouts? My hands can hardly move," I grumbled in frustration. Wincing, I watched a lone drop of blood run down my arm as I tried one last time to maneuver my wrists. Shaking my head, I told Taj, "It's no use! I can't move!"

"Well, we need t-to th-think of something fast, Danny!" Taj shot back at me, "b-because I th-think that man's speech is ending s-soon!"

"I-I don't know!" I said frantically. "I don't know what to do!"

"Me neither!"

"Don't give me that, Taj! You have to have some trick up your butt! Like that purple gas from before!"

"Th-that was all I had! I-I'm all out!"

"Some help you are!" I shouted at him.

"Y-you're the one with g-ghost powers! Use them!" he spat scathingly back.

It was the first time I'd seen Taj get so visibly upset and frustrated. I didn't think he was capable of such emotion. Surprised and contrite for pushing him so far, I clammed up. Taj saw my expression and realized what he had just said. Guilt and regret washed over the teen's face as he opened his mouth to apologize.

I never let him say a word. There was no time.

"Taj! Look out!" I screamed.

While we had been going back and forth with each other like caged dogs, the leader had taken a knife from it's scabbard at his side and thrown his fist up in the air with a warrior battle cry. Turning to face us, the man had zeroed in on Taj, picking him as his first unlucky victim. The machete-like knife glinted as it reflected the blazing late afternoon sun as the man held the blade before him and walked purposefully toward Taj. That's when I had shouted my desperate warning.

Taj's head snapped around in fear, spotted his attacker with the knife, and seemed to freeze in panic. I had to watch helplessly as the leader advanced without hesitation or pity. He was going to kill Taj for whatever sick ritual this tribe performed on outsiders, and I was going to have to watch as my friend was murdered by this crazy rainforest tribe. Then it would be my turn to die. Overwhelmed with such terrible and frightening emotions, I was silent and transfixed as the leader prepared to stab Taj in the heart.

It happened so quick, I would have missed it if I had blinked. Taj waited for the last possible second to strike. At that perfect moment, he brought up his leg and deftly kicked the knife out of the man's hands. In that split second, I didn't see this world's Taj. The Taj I saw was from the nightmare world: cold, determined, and calculating. I'd never seen that look in his eyes in this world before. It was almost scary.

The knife flung out of the leader's hands and spiraled out into the screaming crowd who managed dodge out of the way. The man gave a sharp, painful yelp as his hand or wrist might have been fractured. Taj's kick looked pretty powerful.

"Whoa," I muttered as the entire area fell into an angry silence. Taj glanced at me, scared beyond belief. He knew that his one deed of defiance had only delayed the inevitable and brought upon us an unnecessary wrath. It was odd thinking about it because Taj didn't seem capable to go to such extremes, but he had just royally pissed everyone off. He had thrown a rock through the wasps' nest, and there was nowhere to run from the livid swarm.

We were dead meat.

Shouting harshly to each other in their strange language, the warriors who had brought Taj and I into the tribe unsheathed their knives and machetes. Their dark, narrowed gazes were on us. Swallowing hard with rising trepidation, I spotted the evil, black intent in their hearts. Our deaths weren't going to be quick and painless according to their murderous stares.

"Wait! I-I said wait!" I cried out desperately. "Can't we talk this out?"

My pleas were firmly ignored. No one paid me any heed. The warriors stepped with wicked purpose up onto the platform Taj's and my poles stood on, their weapons raised and ready as they came toward our hopeless, strung-up bodies. We felt like pigs ready to be slaughtered.

Frantically, Taj glanced around and summed up his opponents. From the despair displayed on his face, it was obvious he knew he wasn't going to survive. Fear and panic hung in the humid air. Sweat poured down my face and clung heavily to my clothes. When did breathing get so difficult? This couldn't be happening!

"No! No!" I screamed at the men. "Don't do this!" They were deaf. I could scream my throat raw and they still wouldn't hear me. No. We were going to be killed by these men, and there was nothing I could do about it.

Powerless. That's what I was. That's all I've always been and would ever be. Tears of frustration sprung to my eyes. Could this really be it? Would I really die here in this God forsaken rainforest? This entire damn jungle was a boiling hot, muggy pit of dark insanity. It was full of lies, hurt, betrayal, false hopes, loneliness, and death. I couldn't take it. I just couldn't take it anymore.

The warriors paused in mid-step, hesitation hovering over their hardened expressions. The entire tribe fell silent. While it was preventing us from getting stabbed to death, I couldn't help but think that whatever they were staring at would only bring Taj and I more trouble. Gritting my teeth in intensity, I snapped my head to the side to see what they were looking at. Before I could stop it, a gasp escaped me. Taj did the same.

An old woman stood between us. Her white hair was a stark contrast against her sun-baked dark skin with its many wrinkles. She wore dozens of necklaces with animal teeth and bones strung to them. Piercings covered her ears and face. Stretched and old tattoos covered her arms. She was probably shorter than me, but she looked rugged and experienced enough to kick anyone's butt who gave her the slightest bit of trouble. It were her eyes that stood out most of all, though. They were a frosty light blue. Like ice. When those two orbs settled on me, I felt oddly exposed, as if she was looking straight into my heart and beyond. It was more than just creepy.

She asked us in a faint, lilting voice that command respect, "What are you two boys doing here in my jungle? First you trespass, and now you've hurt one of my warriors. Why should I keep the both of you gringos alive. Hm? Speak up!"

Taj was too stunned to respond. Taking the initiative, I swallowed and said quietly, "You're the oracle, aren't you? We...uh...we came here for you."

The old lady stood back for a second and regarded me in a new light. I could feel as her eyes raked over my body and searched my face for all my secrets. Finally, she nodded and said in the same cadence, "You came to see me. Both of you. What could you possibly want to see in your future at such young ages? This is nonsense."

"Not me," I corrected her. "I was just helping him." I threw my head toward Taj, saying, "He came to see you. You have to understand. It's important! Please, believe me!"

A crinkled, toothy grin crept across the oracle's face. "Do not deny it, Danny Fenton," she said, her ice cold stare boring through me. How did she know my name? A shiver spiked up my spine. "You want to see your future as well. I haven't met any human who has not been tempted by its captivated spell. You want to _see_ it, don't you? You want to _know_ it?"

I didn't answer. Even if I wanted to, I don't think my voice would allow me. There was something in her eyes that tore the breath right out of my lungs and rendered me speechless. She was seeing things. Things that nobody should be allowed to see because they were solely mine. I knew this despite the lack of evidence. She was peeking into my life, my secrets, my memories. Everything I held captive in my mind was like an open book to her prying psychic fingers. It put every one of my nerves on edge, and yet I never stopped her. Like a hypnotized mouse caught in a snake's steady gaze, I stared back at the oracle without question.

I didn't know how she did it, but I suddenly understood that her ability to see the future relied heavily on her knowledge of the past. That meant she needed to see all of me. Although I hated every second of it, I let her take my past. She smiled the same knowing, toothy grin at me the entire time. She knew. She knew how much I despised that very moment.

Chuckling, the oracle came toward me. "For one so young, you have lived a very full life, Danny," she said with some relish. Her arms were covered with metal and leather bangles. They clinked together as she used her hands to say, "One foot in the spirit world, and the other in this one; yet you belong to none. Many hardships have come your way. They will continue to come if you stay on this path you have chosen to walk."

"Is that one of your predictions?" I scoffed quietly. There was something spooky about this woman. I didn't find her dangerous or anything, but her supernatural power was making me nervous. Maybe she had that effect on everyone.

"Ah, a perceptive one, aren't you? But no," she answered, chortling to herself like a delighted grandma. Her chuckles were gentle and velvety, matching her voice. "It is too unmistakable. Anyone could predict that life would give a caring hero such as yourself much suffering." She paused with her face close to mine before smiling again and adding, "But you already knew that."

My only response was a firm frown.

Lifting her frail, gnarled fingertips up to my face, the oracle said, "Be still and let the visions come, young one. Let us travel together. I will show you all that you want to see."

As the oracles fingertips were raised to my forehead, my chest tightened with fear. What if I didn't want to see my future? Was she going to give me that option? Did she ever consider that I'd rather blindly stumble along life instead of seeing who I might turn out to be? What if I failed in the future? What if I somehow became like Vlad? Evil? I wouldn't be able to take that. I didn't want to see myself become the villain!

Closing her eyes, the oracle whispered breathlessly to me, "Yes. Yes, it is frightening, young one. But do not be afraid. It does not hurt...much."

With a nefarious cackle, she touched my forehead. Instantly, the world spun and darkened. Her haunting chuckles echoed throughout my head. It felt like I was falling. Just falling and falling. There was no end to the plummeting feeling into nothing. After a few minutes of this strange sensation, I let myself relax a little. That's when the visions came.

They flashed so fast across my mind's eye, I couldn't catch more than half of them. I saw myself fighting more ghosts in the future, hanging out with my friends, and sleeping in class many times. I saw Sam's angry face as she argued with me about something important. Then she was kissing me. I wanted to hang onto that vision in my future, but it quickly passed. A crowd cheering for me. I was in college. More ghost battles. Lots of stress. There was one vision where I saw myself half dead. That scared me. Yet Sam and Tucker were always there by my side. Especially Sam. That scared me too, but in a good way.

Then the visions started to speed up. I couldn't make out what any of them meant, they were going too fast. Desperately, I tried to slow the reel down and hang onto it all. The more I fought it, the quicker the images slipped through my brain. There was marriage. To whom, I couldn't tell. More ghosts and even people to fight. Lots of pain. Struggling. Hardships. Then kids. And...happiness. Lots of it. Joy.

Although I didn't see the visions that were connected to these emotions, I could still feel exactly what I was going to experience in the future at different times. The hurt was always balanced by delight. There were two sides to my superhero future. I was going to face a lot of suffering in the future...but also a lot of happiness.

As if a heavy burden had been lifted off my shoulders, I released a heavy sigh and opened my eyes, slowly returning to reality. The oracle had removed her fingers from my forehead. Her crinkled face smiled again up at me. For once, she didn't look so creepy.

"If this is the path you choose to take, Danny Fenton, then be aware of these three things," the old lady said. She raised up three knotty fingers to emphasize her point. "First, there will be many times where you will save more than just one world. Everything you are is connected. Remember that. Second, your daughter will be just like you. Let her make mistakes. Like you, she has to learn the hard way. Lastly," she finished as she gently cupped my chin in her hand and said with a faint smile, "Even without physical power, you are never powerless."

A/N: Next chapter, Taj's prediction. Yay! It will be...a fun one, to say the least. Lots of good stuff planned for next chapter. I can't wait to start writing it! Well, I need to get homework done. Thanks for reading! I'll update next weekend!


	26. Chapter 26 Past, Present, Future

A/N: For once, I'm actually kinda on time with this chapter. Writing it, I realized how close to the end I am. Only a few more chapters to go, actually. Kinda scary and sad. I'll really miss this fic. Anyways, lots of information sent your way in this chapter. The last few bits of mystery concerning Taj will be revealed, so go on and read and enjoy!

Disclaimer: Yeah. Those Danny Phantom characters. Those aren't mine.

Previously In Incommunicado: Out of Vlad's clutches finally, Danny and Taj set out to find this fortuneteller and her tribe. It's the tribe that finds them, though. Before the boys know it, they're strung up and ready to be slaughtered by the primitive tribe that was tired of outsiders stumbling in and messing up their world. As probably predicted, the oracle saves the boys just in time. The last chapter ended with the oracle looking into Danny's future. While it is troubled with pain, he also sees a lot of happiness in it.

Chapter 26 Past, Present, Future

Talking in the tribe's strange language, the oracle turned to her people and pointed adamantly to Taj and I. The warrior men shared some skeptical looks before they came forward and cut us down from the poles with their knives. Wincing and still a bit shaky from my adventure into the future, I slowly sunk to my knees on the platform. Rubbing his sore wrists, Taj did the same beside me.

"Um...what just happened?" Taj whispered to me. "She touched you, and her eyes just started to glow. It was creepy, quite frankly."

"Yes. Creepy. That's a good way to describe her. But she gave me visions of my future, I guess," I said breathlessly. "It was all really quick. I'm not sure how she did it. Just kinda...happened. I don't know. Fortunetelling isn't a ghost power, dude."

"What was it like?" Taj pressed me for information. His eyes were wide with fear and curiosity. The two emotions battled inside him for dominance as we sat there. "What did you see?"

"Mmm. Not all of it was visual. More like...feelings?" I said, trying and failing to explain the experience. "It's okay, though. The hardest part is having her stare into your soul. Ug. You could call that unpleasant." I made a face, shivering at the intruding feeling that still lingered in me from my sharing session with the old woman.

"Stare into your soul? I don't get-."

"Taj Nice."

Jumping like a skittish cat, Taj looked up in apprehension at the oracle that now stood with her hands on her hips in front of him. Swallowing his unease, he said, "Y-yes, ma'am?"

"Since you could remember, your life has been a single hardship," the oracle stated down to poor Taj. "What makes you think your future will be any different?"

Keeping his eyes on hers, Taj's shoulders sagged. Inner pain and turmoil showed on his face as he struggled with a verbal answer for the woman. Finally, he said softly, "Hope. I see it in people in this world, ma'am. My mother had it. She taught me to hope for a better future. Julie has it. And...and Danny. He has a lot of it despite all that has happened to him. I have to hope like them. If I don't have that kind of hope...why...just why would I...go on?"

Stunned and filled with admiration, I stared at Taj with a sad smile. Hearing that come from someone like Taj was an honor. To think that I was one of the few people he modeled his own hope after was pretty cool to know and hear. Taj really was one of the nicest and humblest person I had ever known. Maybe that's what made him so odd.

"You might not like what I show you, Taj," the oracle told him bluntly. She wasn't going to sugarcoat it for him. There was a chance that Taj's future would suck badly. He needed to be prepared for it.

"I know, ma'am," Taj said. He heaved a large sigh before saying truthfully, "But I have to do this. I have to know. You understand."

One of her toothy, creepy smiles crossed the fortuneteller's face. "I know, young one," she said, nodding gently. "I know."

In a slow, flowing movement, the oracle kneeled down in front of Taj and reached out for his forehead. Fully ready for whatever laid ahead, Taj bowed his head and closed his eyes. For once, he wasn't afraid. He hadn't been like me when it came down to my future. Instead, he fully embraced the consequences to his dark powers and was prepared internally for any outcome.

In that moment, I realized how strong Taj was. He was stronger than me. He was stronger than Vlad. He was the strongest person I had ever known.

That's when it all went downhill.

Lighting up like a fire, Taj's symbol tattoo on his face began to glow ridiculously bright. The curious tribe watching around the platform all took a step back and murmured to each other in wonder and agitation. They weren't stupid when it came down to supernatural things, it seemed. By the way they slowly backed away from the platform, they somehow knew that the light was potentially dangerous.

I, on the other hand, was too astonished to move, especially when Taj's tattoo started to eradicate itself from his face. Like a snake, the crimson color came alive, slithered off the teen's face, and hung in the air in one long line of glowing color. It left an ugly black burn mark of the tattoo behind on Taj's face. Still, the oracle and Taj stayed kneeled and connected by the sharing of the teen's future. It must have been one hell of a future telling if it was doing that to Taj's tattoo.

The red line in the air then began to collect itself into a ball until it was the size of a sphere I could fit into the palm of my hand. As if it was going to erupt with illumination, the light grew brighter and brighter from the floating ball. The tribe had to back up more. Even I had to raise an arm to cover my eyes as red light blasted into us. Steadily, the brightness swelled. With an explosion of blinding white light, the sphere finally solidified and fell to the platform with a loud _thump_.

With a gasp from both of them, the oracle and Taj suddenly parted from each other. As if she had been bitten from the boy, the fortuneteller sprung back away from Taj. Fear and wonder was etched into the wrinkles of her face as she gaped at Taj, panting raggedly. She had never seen anything like Taj before, I realized. Was that a good or bad thing?

Sweating buckets, shivering uncontrollably, and gasping for each jagged breath, Taj stared unseeingly at the floor beneath him. The entire jungle fell into silence. Not even the birds or the bugs made a sound. All was eerily quiet as we peered at the mysterious teen in utter awe.

What the _heck_ just happened?

A loud shout of warning shattered the silence. Alarm sprung to the faces of the tribes people as they looked behind them. The warriors gripped their knives before running off to investigate the matter. It wasn't until I saw a flash of an ectoplasm ray that I realized how much trouble Taj and I were in. Plasmius. He was here.

"Dammit!" I hissed, glancing around for the man and his hired crew. It must have been that ball thing and its crazy light show. The explosion must have alerted Vlad to where we were, and the others were soon to follow. We didn't have much time!

Grabbing Taj by his shoulder, I roughly shook him out of his stupor while saying, "Come on, man! We gotta get out of here. Now, Taj!"

"What? My...head. Danny?" Taj said, blinking dizzily. Cringing with some unknown pain, he rubbed the side of his head in confusion. "What's going on?"

More ectoplasm rays were fired. Woman and children scattered in all directions, screaming in fear and panic. The men fearlessly flung themselves toward Plasmius in the distance with their weapons poised for attack. I wanted to warn them about Vlad's power and tell them to run like everyone else, but it was too late. I couldn't do anything at this point. The oracle had stood up on the platform. With tired eyes, she looked out at Vlad with a simple frown on her face. I wonder if she recognized him.

"Vlad! That's what!" I shouted at Taj over the commotion. "Get up! We can't get caught!"

"I feel sick," Taj said pathetically.

"I'm sorry, dude, but we can't let the state of your stomach slow us down!" I said, hanging onto patience with slipping fingers.

Slowly, Taj looked around as if noticing the destruction Plasmius was causing for the first time. Something seemed to click in his brain. Maybe it was the apparent danger and the chance of getting caught. Maybe it was what he had remembered from the future. Whatever it was, it put a thin frown to his face and snapped him into action.

"Where's the sphere?" he asked me seriously.

"Uh...there," I answered, pointing to the sphere that still sat in the middle of the platform. How did he know there was one? This was getting weird.

"Don't move."

Taj and I froze at the sudden sound of Vlad's voice. We quickly looked to our side to see the man standing there with a palm full of ectoplasm energy aimed at us. Confused, I glanced into the distance. Another Plasmius was there beating the crap out of the tribesmen fighting him. Great. More clones. This was so unfair. Gritting my teeth in frustration, I returned my eyes to the Vlad closest to us. By the dark look in his narrowed, red eyes, I could see that Plasmius meant business. He wasn't about to lose us again.

"Stand up," Vlad ordered us, voice cold as steel. "Both of you. Keep your hands in sight, Daniel. If you so dare as touch that watch of yours, you won't be waking up until tomorrow."

"I _need_ that sphere, Danny," Taj whispered to me as we slowly rose to our feet with our hands above our heads.

"Don't risk it, Taj," I hissed back at him. There was no need to be reckless just yet. What was so important about this ball thing anyways? What did I miss? What had Taj seen in his future? "Why do you need it?"

"I can't tell you. Not in front of _him_."

"Well, is it _that_ important? I'm not about to get killed over that thing, you know."

"Stop talking to each other," Vlad commanded.

"Or you'll do _what_, Vlad?" I snapped rebelliously back at him.

To answer that question, Vlad fired an ectoplasm blast at me. Not expecting such a quick response, I could do nothing to dodge or protect myself as the blast caught me in the chest and sent me to the other side of the platform. Before I knew it, I was on the floor and feeling like total crap. Pink steam floated away from my body as I tried to get to my hands and knees.

Okay. So maybe talking back to Vlad hadn't been the wisest of choices. Lesson learned.

Grunting past the pain, I glanced up from my position on my stomach. With both palms now glowing with energy, Vlad scowled witheringly down at me. Taj was looking back and forth between me and the sphere, trying hard to decide what his next move was going to be. Before I could tell him not to, he took matters into his own hands.

Moving faster than I thought possible of him, Taj used the element of surprise on Vlad by lunging toward me. With pure determination in his eyes, Taj grabbed my wrist before turning to get the sphere only a few feet away. We both screamed when Vlad released a blast, hitting the floor only inches away from where Taj's outstretched arm was.

Scared but not defeated or discouraged, Taj tried a second time for the ball. This time, Vlad was cut off from blasting anyone away because the oracle had stepped in for us. She stationed herself boldly between Plasmius and Taj, and boy did she _not_ look happy! For a second, Vlad showed his surprise by taking a step away from the old woman. It would have been comical if the situation wasn't so dire.

Before anyone could say anything, Taj's fingers had wrapped around his sphere, and a bright light washed the world away before depositing Taj and I into a nightmare. Day had turned into night. The life-giving sun had turned into a bloody, vile splot of red in the dark sky. Excited, inhuman moans filled the air as the jungle seemed to come alive with movement.

Looking up, I saw that we had transported directly into a din of monsters. They were everywhere.

The starving creatures looked up from whatever they had been doing, saw us sitting there like idiotic but delicious snacks, and came running with teeth bared. They didn't need strategy or a plan of attack. With so many creatures sitting about, all they needed was to be quick and swarm us. And that's exactly what they did.

On refined instinct, Taj was the first to get to his feet, grab the two Desert Eagles strapped to his hips, and begin to fire into the hoard of zombie creatures closing in on us. A certain amount of quiet panic was in his eyes. Taj was cool and collected no more. In a situation as hopeless as this one, he was allowed to be terrified out of his mind. I, for one, was.

Good thing I had superhero instincts as well. Despite how terrified I was, my brain flowed straight to Phantom mode. Still on the ground, I delved deep down inside my cold core and forced it to the surface as I placed my palm on the ground. Without any restraint, I let the power flow through me. There was no time for control and polish. We needed ice powers, and we needed them now!

In a 5 yard radius around Taj and I, the jungle ground instantly created a thin, slick layer of ice. With strangled growls and surprised gurgles, the zombies slipped on the cold, slippery surface. None of them knew what to do or how to move. Confusion and chaos ensued. The creatures were reduced to retarded animals as they knocked and stumbled into each other or to the ground with moans of frustration.

Some of them even got angry enough to attack their neighbors with vicious clawing and biting. The second the first drop of blood was drawn, it was like a switch had been flipped inside all their heads. Their growls turned into blood-lusting, savage snarls as they struggled across the ice for the pile of thin, sickly limbs of gory carnage that was piling up. They really were cannibals!

"Danny! Get us out of here!" Taj hissed down at me.

Still shook up from what bloody monstrosity that was taking place only a few feet away from me, I hardly felt Taj as he yanked me to my feet. It was only when he violently shook me that I got pulled back to reality. If we didn't move now, we were going to end up the unfortunate souls eaten by this bunch of ravenous zombies.

"Yes! Getting out of here! Now!" I said frantically as I grabbed Taj, turned intangible, and flew out of there. It was so quick, Taj gave a small yelp as we blasted off. Squeezing his eyes shut, he clung to me like a terrified cat as we flew.

When I thought that we were far enough away from the creatures, I unceremoniously dumped Taj to the ground, put my hands in my hair, and paced the jungle floor like a caged lunatic. This was too insane! Too much had happened all at once. My brain hadn't caught up with me yet, and I felt like I was finally losing it. That's what scared me most. Looking queasy from his spot on the ground, Taj watched me wearily before glancing around with worry. We weren't in the most safest of places, but I didn't care. I needed answers.

"What happened back there?" I demanded from Taj, still pacing with my hands pulling out my hair. "What did you see in the future? What's with that ball thing?"

"Danny, calm down," Taj tried to quell me.

"No! Not until you tell me what the hell is going on!" I snapped at him.

Taj flinched at my shouting. He glared at the ground for a moment, deciphering what he was going to say before finally getting to his feet. With his eyes still narrowed, he grabbed me by the forearm and forced me to a halt.

"You're going to get us killed," he told me stoically as I wrenched myself free and backed away with a scowl.

Events seemed to catch up with me at that second. My anger was replaced with a hard-hitting fear and confusion. I didn't want to be there. I didn't want to be in that nightmare world again. And I knew when we got back to the real world I'd only be met with capture and pain. No matter what world I was in, I would be faced with terror. I was stuck between a rock and a hard place, and I didn't know what to do with myself.

Sighing hopelessly, I raised my hand to my head and rubbed my forehead. A headache was driving its way through my skull, and my chest was tightening with emotion. Placing my hands on hips, I turned away from Taj with another exhausted sigh. The last thing I wanted to do do that day was fight for survival in some kind of nightmare zombie world. I just wanted to be back home, sitting on the couch, and watching some boring show on the TV without the fear of being killed or being manipulated into a mini Vlad.

"Are you...okay?" Taj finally asked me tentatively when I said and did nothing for a full minute.

Break time was over. I could wish and complain all I wanted, but the fact still remained that I was stuck with Taj in another world. We needed to survive, get back to reality, escape from Vlad, and go home. There was a lot of work to do, and superheroes weren't exactly allowed to clock out. So it was time to suck it up once again and get my head back in the game.

"I'm good, Taj," I sighed over my shoulder. "Let's get out of here. Do you know where to go?"

"Some place where we can talk without those creatures hearing us," Taj answered. He seemed relieved to see me better and ready to listen to him. "So maybe back in the trees again."

Minutes later, we found a lofty perch in the dark jungle's canopy. Once we were settled there and knew none of those zombie things were after us, Taj gave a giant sigh and started explaining. We made sure to sit close to each other, just in case Taj was transported back to reality. It would more than just suck if I got stuck behind in that horrible world.

"My future isn't set in stone," Taj started off slowly. "Yours isn't either, you know. Nobody's is. What the oracle does is look at your past, then according to that, she can kinda predict what kind of choices you will make at pivotal points in your life. Like, she can see those points, but she needs your past actions to predict what you may or may not choose. You following me?"

"Uh...kinda," I said hesitantly. "So you're saying there are a lot of choices in the future, and she can see those choices; but, depending on my personality she sees from my past actions, she decides which path we choose and then tells us those certain outcomes?"

"Yes," Taj said, nodding. "I know. It's pretty confusing. But the only reason why I know that is because the oracle said she couldn't find a lot of my past from me because I didn't know it. Which is odd because I thought I knew it, but I don't. She said my future would be fuzzy because of this. So, instead of letting her show me my future, I asked her to show me my past. I didn't know if that would work, her being a _fortune_teller and all, but she said she could do that. It would prevent her from showing me my future, though. I took the deal anyways. I'm not sure why. I just took it."

"That's not like you," I stated. "Usually you overanalyze the daylights out of everything."

Running his hands through his hair in his habit of anxiety, Taj muttered, "I was stressed and desperate. I didn't want some unclear future from that lady. I needed something definite, and my past seemed clear because it had already happened, so...why not?"

"So what did you see?"

"My past wasn't clear to me because I wasn't born in _that_ past," Taj said with all seriousness. "I was born in in the Middle Ages."

There was a pause between us as Taj let this idea sink into my brain. Once it was firmly planted in there, I admitted lamely, "Okay. I'm officially confused."

"I was born into a small cult during the Middle Ages. Not sure what year. The visions she gave me weren't really specific."

"Yeah," I said in understanding. "They were just flashes and bits of emotions."

"But from what I saw, I made out that the time period had to be during the Middle Ages or so," Taj went on. "And this cult was insane. They went beyond the normal bounds of sacrifices and rituals to gain more dark power. There was a lot of dark, demonic stuff going on. They killed a lot of innocent people for their cause. A lot. Eventually, though, they gained the powers I have now. They could travel to the future, create disaster for the people around them on a whim, and give people horrible nightmares. Only the cult members with their protective symbol could prevent each others powers from effecting them. But the cult wanted more. That power wasn't enough, apparently, so they made...they made me."

"Wait, wait, wait! They _made_ you?" I said in disbelief.

"They got one of the women from the cult to conceive a child for them," Taj said with a certain faraway look in his eyes. "Then, while she was giving birth, they infused a powerful, dark, and evil potion with me."

"Your tattoo," I said, putting the pieces together. Taj gave me a surprised look, so I said, "Toushiro said the symbol was from some old, obscure cult civilization or something. He wasn't sure himself, so I didn't think about it much, but now it makes total sense. That's why you have these powers and was born with that tattoo! But that still doesn't explain why you grew up in the future, how that ball thing appeared, and you jumping into this nightmare dimension at random times."

"Well, you see, my biological mom knew what was going to happen to me," Taj said. "The cult was going to raise me up, give me a ton of power, then one day turn me into some god thing to sacrifice that would give them my powers. I don't know exactly what or how or why. Basically, it was all about establishing and giving themselves more dark powers. They were crazy. They didn't care what they did to me as long as they got power. I was just a device, really.

"So my biological mother did the only thing she could think of to save me. She used her powers of time jumping and took me into the future. She put me up for adoption then went back to the Middle Ages when her time was up. I didn't know her at all, but at least I can say she loved me enough to try and rescue me from that cult. She sacrificed herself for me. She was probably crazy, but I don't really care. That woman loved me like a true mother when it all came down to it, and that's all I really care about.

"My adoptive mom never said anything about me getting adopted. Maybe I was too young to notice or care," Taj went on with a lamenting shrug. "Maybe she just thought it would hurt me too much if I knew. I don't know, and I don't really care. I still love her the same."

We sat there in silence for a while. I let Taj mull it all over as I digested this new set of information. After a minute or two, a word drew a little red flag in my head.

"Future," I said. "You called their power as jumping into the future. Not a dimension?"

"Exactly," Taj said, nodding. "And the future we're talking about for me is _this_ world, the one we're in right now. It's actually not another dimension like we thought it was or some other nightmare world. It's _our_ world in the far future. Somehow, our world ends up like this."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Time out!" I practically shouted, making a T symbol with my hands. Shaking my head in astonishment, I asked, "So you're telling me this world is really ours? Holy crap! How? Why? What happens in the past that makes earth's future so...crappy?"

"That's what I'm trying to explain," Taj said patiently. "Let me continue."

"Go on, then," I said abrasively, motioning for him to get on with it.

"Once I knew my past, something in me must have activated," Taj said with intensity in his voice. He looked like a detective figuring out the last few details of a wonderful mystery. "I have all this dark power in me that one day the cult members planned to eradicate. A lot of that power must have been triggered and released into its current manifestation once I figured out my past and the extent and potential of my powers. That's what that red sphere is. It's most of my dark powers physically manifested and ready to be used. All anyone has to do is crush the ball to release the power."

"Um...what would exactly happen if you crushed that ball?" I asked.

"If anything happens to that ball that breaks it, this is what happens," Taj answered. "This very future. We humans turn into those horrible creatures, the sun turns red, and our world slowly crumbles. Basically, humanity disappears."

Staring wide-eyed at Taj, I said with growing fear, "Are you telling me that the fate of our world depends entirely on not crushing that sphere?"

"Honestly, yes."

"That's crazy. Does this mean you will accidentally break it one day? If the future is like this now, then does that mean somewhere along the line you or someone else will release that thing's power?"

"I...my future isn't set in stone," Taj said in a squeaky, hopeless voice. He looked like he suddenly wanted to curl up into a ball and vanish. "I can change this future. I can hide the sphere where nobody will find it."

"Or you could destroy the ball completely," I offered.

"What? Why would you-? Danny, how on earth would I ever be able to do that? Hiding it in a secret and safe place is my best bet."

"No, hear me out, Taj," I defended my idea. The more I thought about it, the more I liked it. We needed something that wouldn't break the ball, just maybe disintegrate or melt it or something highly destructive. I had to keep thinking about it. I knew the answer was in my grasp as I thought aloud for Taj. "Get this, okay. If you could find a way to completely destroy the ball, would that release its power?"

"I...um...I guess not. It would destroy the power," Taj answered. He was trying not to shoot me down, but I could tell he didn't like my insane idea. It was too risky for him. "But, Danny, there's like...no way for that to work."

I had it! I totally had it! I knew exactly what we could do! All I needed now was to convince Taj. He had to be on board for it to work.

"No, no, no! Listen to me!" I said excitedly. "If you hide it somewhere on earth, someone at some point is eventually gonna find it. You're going to die eventually, Taj, meaning you can't protect that sphere forever. Therefore, in the future, that ball is going to be broken and this future will happen despite your best efforts. Don't deny it. You know it will happen."

Taj flinched at the logic in my argument and looked away from me in despair. In a small way, he wanted to delude himself into thinking he'd keep the earth safe by his own means. Reality told him otherwise, though.

Almost jumping in my eagerness, I asked him with a smirk, "So what if you destroyed the ball by throwing it into an active volcano?"

Taj stared out into the dark jungle in clear shock and disbelief. Finally, he turned his head to look at me and said with all honesty, "Danny, you have to be the craziest person I have ever known."

We then grinned at each other.

A/N: And there you have it. Taj's past and supposed future. Feels good to have it all out in the open finally! You have no clue how long I've been waiting to get that out so I could move on to the action. Ha ha! Well, I hope you guys liked the chapter! See you readers next weekend!


	27. Chapter 27 Alone

A/N: Yeah. I know. The chapter is a bit late out this weekend. I got bogged down with an essay this week due to procrastination...and the fact that I didn't read the book I was writing an essay on. Anyways, I did manage to write some of what I wanted. So I decided to update anyways with whatever I had. Still a good chapter, though.

Oh, and please believe me when I say that when I thought of the idea of throwing the sphere into the volcano to get rid of it, all I was simply thinking was, "Dude, I've never written a volcano scene before! Everyone loves volcanos! It's gonna epic! Hot lava and crap! YES!" Truthfully, I think I've seen_ Lord of the Rings_ like maybe three times...and the actual ending only once. I forgot how popular that series is. My bad.

What I'm saying is that, if you think I'm just stealing off _Lord of the Rings_ and you're mad at me for my sudden lack of creativity, I'm sorry, but I totally forgot about all that Frodo-Sam-bromance-ring-throwing-lava-junk from the books and movies when I wrote the plot for this fic. Besides, as a writer, you will never, ever be fully creative. That's fact. What you can do is make it your own. So I'm owning this volcano thing, even if you readers like it or not. It will be fun, though! I promise!

That said, enjoy the chapter and thanks for all your support and reviews!

Disclaimer: Don't own any Danny Phantom characters.

Previously in Incommunicado: The oracle finally gets to look into Taj's future, but it's not the future that Taj's asks for her to see. So, in a roundabout and confusing way, Taj sees his past and how he was infused at birth with his powers before his mother time jumped to the present to save him. When this was revealed to him, his power was physically manifested into a sphere that if broken brings about the zombie future that he keeps time jumping ahead to. Due to lack of luck, Vlad arrives back on the scene. But before he can capture Taj and Danny again, the two boys are transported to the zombie future via Taj's powers. There, Taj reveals his past to Danny, and Danny suggests destroying the sphere completely in one of Ecuador's volcanos. This a good plan...now if only they could get back to the present.

Chapter 27 Alone

"Hey, Taj! There's ammo over here!" I shouted across the room.

"Bag it all!" Taj yelled back from where he was squatting over a large medical kit and picking out the tools he needed.

"How much time?" I asked, throwing the cases of shotgun ammo into the duffle bag on the floor between us.

"I give them two more minutes. You might want to get on lookout soon."

"Got it."

Taj and I had spent three weeks inside the nightmare future. It was hard. For me, at least. Some of the hardest weeks of my life were spent there with Taj. If he hadn't been there to talk to and help me out, I don't think I would have survived. Surely I would have either had snapped from the dark insanity and the constant fear, or I would have gotten eaten.

Each day was a struggle, though. Those zombie creatures were everywhere, and they were smart hunters. Even if we sat high up in the trees, the things would eventually sniff us out in about a day and come after us. We had to be constantly on the move, quiet, and alert. One slip up and one of us could end up dinner. It made me anxious all the time. With each passing hour, I wondered how long I'd have to spend in that miserable future. I really, really wanted to go home.

Taj taught me a lot in those three weeks. I learned how to start a fire without matches; track animals; skin, clean, and cook those animals; shoot various guns with pretty good accuracy; and kill zombies. We had to stay very close to each other so as to guarantee I came back to the past with him whenever he left, so I was practically his pupil in that zombie future. I saw everything he did to survive, and soon I was doing the same. It was a real learning experience for me as well as another test of my endurance.

Positioning myself next to a broken window in the dilapidated home that was merely a musty, old memory from a world that was no more, I kept my eyes and ears open for any sign of the zombie creatures outside. On my first house raid with Taj, I had no clue how Taj was able to tell if the zombies were near, but after a week of close attention and under Taj's guidance, I could catch all the little, subtle hints to their presence.

After a minute or two of complete silence, I managed to spot a flash of color behind a cluster of trees. If I hadn't been looking for it, I'd have missed it completely or had thought it was simply the wind shifting the leaves around. But I knew better. Time to leave!

"They're here, dude," I told Taj over my shoulder. "You finished?"

Dumping medical supplies in the duffle bag, Taj said with a nod, "Yes. But...um...can we not, you know the flying thing...?"

"You still not used to flying yet, are you?" I teased him with a smile. "I think this means I should blast out of here faster than usual. Exposure therapy. Works wonders."

Crouched on the ground by the bag and rolling his eyes in silent amusement, Taj said flatly, "You might be changing your tune when you're covered with vomit."

"Good point," I chuckled. Walking briskly toward my friend, I said cockily, "Alright then. We'll fly out of here slower for your stomach's sake. Hopefully, those zombie's don't keep tracking..."

Taj vanished. Just like that. Gone.

For a second, my brain went into a lock. I just stared dumbly at the place Taj used to be without a single thought going through my head. Shock prevented me from doing anything. The surprise opened the floodgates to the panic that rushed through me seconds afterwards. All too soon, I had trouble breathing and my thoughts were spinning out of control.

I hadn't been touching Taj. I hadn't gone back to the past with him. I was alone in the nightmare future. There was no way out anymore. I was stuck. Stuck.

"Shit," I whispered quietly. It was the understatement of the century.

With a blood-lusting snarl, the first zombie who had snuck into the broken house while I had been standing there numbly leapt at me. My body moved on instinct. It turned halfway to my right, rose its palm, and shot an ectoplasm ray into the creature's head. Like a bloody limp doll, the zombie spiraled backwards before flopping pathetically to the ground. Attacking that thing snapped me back to my horrible reality: I was surrounded by zombies and needed to get out of there.

Turning intangible as a rush of desperate zombies pounced at me, I crouched down before blasting through the roof of the building and leaving the creatures far behind. At reckless speeds, I shot through the thick tangle of jungle trees. My heart was slamming painfully against my aching chest in fear and anxiety as I burst through the messy canopy. For as far as I could see there was a leafy ocean of dark, ominous tree tops, mountains acting as motionless waves, and an evil beacon of red sitting silent yet malicious in a starless sky. Not a word; not a sound but for my own short, hyperventilating breaths. This time, it wasn't a nightmare. I was completely, utterly alone.

"Calm down, Danny. Calm down!" I whispered hoarsely to myself as I paced in the sky. I could feel it. My head was on the brink of cracking. Reserve was slipping through my fingers like water. Insanity was creeping, seeping into my psyche, as if it was a haunting phantom trying to overshadow me over time.

"Thank, dammit, think!" I yelled. "Something. There's gotta be something. Don't panic. You can't panic. You _will not_ panic!"

Closing my eyes and trying to breathe, I wrestled for control of my own thoughts. Desperately, I grasped at anything I could to hold me together. Memories of my parents, Jazz, and friends surfaced. I needed them. I needed them by my side more than ever at that moment. Yet I was never going to be able to see any of them again. Ever. I was stuck alone in this horrible future to die.

Remembering them almost did me in, but right before I thought I was going to lose it completely, hope found its way in. Those people who I loved needed me in their current time. They needed me just as much as I needed them. Also, Amity Park needed me. Somewhere in the distant past, Taj and Toushiro needed me. Ultimately, this future needed me.

Going insane was out of the question. Too much responsibility rested on my shoulders. And if everyone needed me and was relying on my power, then that meant they saw something in me. Something strong and determined and forceful. I'd made it this far without practically any of my ghost powers. It had mostly been my own will, strength, and tenacity that had pulled me through all the really rough times. And you know what? It was just that that was going to pull me through again.

I wasn't going to panic. I was going to calm down, think it though, and get my butt out of there and save myself and others even if it took me years in that nightmare land. Releasing a slow, shaky breath, I somberly realized that I was going to make it. A year before, I wouldn't have. But circumstances had changed; I had changed. I was strong.

I was not powerless.

-Week and a Half Later-

Wiping my mouth with the back of my hand, I kicked dirt into my small campfire to put it out. The monkey for breakfast hadn't been the most appetizing thing, but I had worst in my lifetime. Wasn't like I could complain, though, especially since my stomach felt like it was on the brink of starvation. It was hard finding food by myself in the nightmare future. It was partly luck that I had found the unfortunate animal that morning. Monkeys were devilishly hard to spot and even harder to take down if you didn't know what you're doing.

Breakfast finished, I shouldered my bag of supplies and headed away from the dead campfire at a brisk pace. Only a few weeks before I had crashed through the jungle floor like a frightened, crazy elephant with a death wish. Over time, though, I learned how to be a phantom. My feet traversed the rough terrain with skill and silence. It was second nature by now.

That day, my hope and spirits were high. I didn't outwardly show these emotions, though. Disappointment was too much to bear, so I tried to suppress my feelings and relied solely on my strength and skill to get me through that day.

After walking on foot for an hour, I decided I needed a bird's eye view to catch my bearings. I knew I was close, but I didn't want to miss it completely. With a soft push off the jungle floor, I took to the air, climbed through the tree branches, and emerged through the canopy seconds later. Slowly and methodically, I combed the jungle below with a patience I didn't think I could possess.

Finally, after much searching, I found what I was looking for.

Aleksey's ranch house and stable barely stood erect in the future. The structures could hardly be seen through the growth of trees all around. As I slowly descended onto the front porch step of the ranch house, I noticed the foliage winning the fight against man-made infrastructure of the past. Moss and lichen covered every surface of the buildings that wasn't rotting, rusting, or overridden with tall grass and vines. The color green was rightly conquering the edifices and claiming what was rightfully its own.

By simply turning myself intangible, I entered the old ranch house. I expected to see a rotted, older version of what I was used to from the past, but the furniture was long gone. Grass, weeds, and vines covered the hollow, empty surfaces of the main front living room. The staircase had crumbled and caved-in long ago. The roof had done the same. The chilling red moon shone through the hole-ridden and cracked ceiling, bathing the large room in an eerie crimson light.

As I stood there in all the desolation, a sad feeling came over me. Although the ranch house had always been a place of struggle in the past, it was hard seeing it so forgotten and broken. It was warm no more.

A small creak that could have been simply the language of the arcane house snapped me out of my melancholy musings. I'd spent too long in that world to be naive enough to believe it was the house making that sound. A frown found its way my face as I quietly flew forward while still intangible, on high alert for what was probably a pack of zombie creatures.

Couldn't believe they had sniffed me out already. I thought I'd have a few more minutes before they found me. This could get difficult really fast if I wasn't careful and ready.

Without a sound, I flew slowly and meticulously through the ranch house, peeking carefully into each and every room. Thanks to my ghost powers, I was able to skip over broken floorboards and fly through collapsed ceilings that would have posed as a big problem if I was there as a human. In that world, my ghost powers were what kept me alive. I didn't know how Taj survived so long without any.

More creaks. A pattering of multiple feet a floor below. They were closing in on me. I was going to have to move and think fast. My frown only deepened. I'd come here thinking I'd find something of use, but there was nothing to see but rot and ruin. It was frustrating me to no end. And, I didn't want to admit it, but I was being weighted down by bitter disappointment.

A growl from outside the room told me the zombies were on the same floor as me now. Since there was nothing in the ranch house, I needed to get to the stable next and check it out. There was probably nothing there, but it was worth a shot. All I needed was a little distraction for my flesh-eating friends nearby. Couldn't have them following me, now could I?

Setting my bag down and unzipping it, I pulled out three old flare sticks I'd found with Taj a few weeks back. We didn't know if they worked or not, but I guessed it was time to see if they still possessed the spunk to do their jobs now.

The first one did nothing. Glaring at the useless thing, I threw it off to the side and tried to start the second. It sputtered pathetically for a few seconds before dying. Uttering a sigh, I threw that one away too. No time for rejects. Third time was the charm. With a brilliant display of red, dazzling sparks, the flare came alive.

I let myself express a rare smile. That was bound to get their attention.

Still intangible, I flew out of the room and into the balcony hallway with the flare in hand. From the light from the flare, I could see that the entire building was covered with the zombie creatures. The house had turned into a hive or nest, full of the thin, grotesque creatures. Dozens of red, demonic eyes swerved toward me, blood lust in their longing gazes. They all froze in pleasant surprise when they saw me and the light show in my hand before attacking with swift viciousness.

Quickly, I flew out over the balcony so that I hovered above the main living room three floors below. One zombie came close to taking me out when it flung itself off the railing with hands outstretched for me. If I hadn't been intangible, it would have nailed me. Thankfully, it sailed right through my ghostly form and plummeted to its death below with a pained, shrill shriek.

Throwing my arm back, I chucked the flare after the falling zombie. Distracted by this light, the rest of the zombies dove after it, thinking they could capture it with numbers when it landed below. Another device followed the flare and the desperate creatures. A small, round, and powerful device also known as a grenade.

_BOOM!_

Smoke, wooden debris, and bloody limbs flung into the air from the grenade explosion. I didn't stick around to see the ugly results of my destruction. More of those creatures would show up soon to feast on their neighbors, and I didn't plan on watching that.

Intangible and invisible now, I flew upward to escape suspicion from the incoming zombies. Coming up out of the ranch house's roof, I could see swarms of the zombies running ruthlessly for the ranch house. Good. My distraction had worked perfectly. Without any delay, I flew over to the horse stable and phased through its rusting roof.

The first thing I noticed when I landed inside was the blue light. After about a month of seeing nothing but the colors black and red, the azure color was almost overwhelmingly beautiful. As if in a daze, I stood in the wonderful blue, calming light and let it soak into me. Feeling like I was in an impossible dream, I turned around to see the source of this light. Only a few yards ahead of me was a transparent archway glowing a brilliant sapphire. Power exuded from its illuminated magical arc. This was the reason why I'd come. This was my way out.

The Gate stood there, silently calling me to my freedom. For a second, I was reminded of portals into the Ghost Zone and how they sometimes beaconed my ghost side to come and enjoy the chaos of that other world. My chest ached to see a ghost portal again like before. I would have given anything to return to that time. It was so close now. I could feel it.

My eyes stayed transfixed on the Gate as I blasted toward it. A few zombies that had been inside the stable and hadn't been drawn to my distraction in the ranch house tried to attack me, but they did nothing but sail through my intangible body. My sole focus was that Gate. I was going to make it! I was going home!

A bright, white light engulfed me the moment I sailed through the Gate. Before I knew it, my ghost powers were gone and I was falling. A yelp of pain and surprise escaped me as I landed painfully on the smelly ground of cement and hay and rolled cumbersomely to a halt.

Eyes closed, gasping for breath, and feeling incredibly weak and ragged, I stayed like that for a minute or two, splayed out on the stable floor like a forgotten drunk man. The smells of horse, hay, and poop around me were rich and pungent. Despite the foul odor, I was smiling like a child as I slowly sat up.

Getting up. That was my first mistake. Boy, that was painful!

I'd been in ghost form for a month. I wasn't used to being human all the sudden. Checking myself over, I realized how sluggish my human form could be. Every movement was like trying to move in water. Maybe it was just the vertigo from the Gate, but I was pretty sure it was because I'd been stuck in ghost mode for so long. I'd almost forgotten what it was like to feel so much physical pain and a fleshy, tired body.

A quick assessment of my body told me that my scars, pains, and lack of sleep from before I'd been taken to the future with Taj were all still there. Grimacing, I had forgotten how painful all the bruises and scrapes were. How had my human self put up with it for so long?

"Don't tell me you've gone soft," I muttered to myself. My voice sounded hoarse from the lack of use. Making a face, I quickly cleared it before picking myself up and looking around the dark barn. Just the fact that I was talking to myself again was a good sign. I missed talking to myself. The tables turned as I wondered how I'd ever gone without it for so long in that crazy future.

"First things first," I told myself, closing my eyes, "Think. Think back to what was going on before you went ahead to the future. And what would Vlad be doing? What do I need to do?"

Opening my eyes, I thought aloud, "Toushiro. I need Toushiro." With difficulty and a curse, I got to my wobbly feet and staggered like a smashed hobo toward the door of the stables. "And a distraction," I continued in a rush. "Vlad probably has Taj and the sphere. Gotta get those away from him. What do I have? I gotta have something to my advantage."

As I exited the stables and walked into the night outside, I felt like I was finally getting up to speed with my human body. Okay. So I couldn't fly or use my powers anymore. I could deal with that. No more zombies to fight, anyways. No big deal. Just had to keep my head on straight and think things through.

Glancing upward, a wistful, relieved sigh shuddered out of me as I saw stars and an actual moon for the first time in a month. The night sky had never looked so beautiful as it did that night. If I had time, I probably would have sat myself down in the grass and watched the sky change till morning. Unfortunately, there wasn't time. Time wasn't a thing that liked me very much.

The ranch house looked warm and inviting as I quietly approached. The windows shone bright with soft, orange glows, making its insides seem hospitable and cozy. This was, in fact, a big, fat lie. Truthfully, what was going on in that house was trouble, deception, and probably lots of pain, and I was going to have to sneak in somehow and try to go around it to rescue Toushiro and his men. This would all have to take place with Aleksey somewhere inside and me not having a clue as to how my watch worked anymore.

Staring wearily at the house, I whispered to myself, "Yep. It's official. The universe hates me."

A/N: Since I get off Thursday and Friday for Thanksgiving this next week and I'm doing nothing those days but really goof off and relax, I'm pretty sure I'll have time to type out a good, long, action-packed, emotion-riddled chapter. And, because I have so many days off, I will probably have time to answer reviews. So review away! Don't know about you, but I'm excited! But it is past midnight, and I need sleep, so I'll see you readers next weekend! Have an awesome Thanksgiving!


	28. Chapter 28 Fighting Crazy

A/N: Oh my gosh. So many fun, good things in this chapter. That's why it's out later this weekend than expected. I just wanted to get more out than I thought I would, and so the chapter ended up being longer. But you guys probably won't mind. I'll be answering review for this week too, so review away if you have a question or anything. I'll try to get to you. Enjoy the chapter, my awesome readers!

Disclaimer: Yeah, yeah, yeah. I don't own it. There ya go.

Previously in Incommunicado: For 3 weeks, Taj and Danny had been stuck in the future. Unfortunately, when Taj went back to the past, he accidentally left Danny behind. Our superhero almost panicked, but he bravely picked himself back up, pushed on, and eventually found a Gateway that sent him back to the past. Now Danny must get into the ranch house, avoid Aleksey, rescue Toushiro and his men, rescue Taj from Vlad, and throw the evil sphere into one of the nearby active volcanos. Not too tough, right?

Chapter 28 Fighting Crazy

"Stupid watch," I hissed as I pressed my invisible back flat against the side of the building by the back door. A glance through the window told me there was nobody there inside the kitchen. "Swear I'm going to kill Vlad when this is over."

After messing with the watch for a few minutes, I had finally remembered the combination to unlock it. My problem then was the fact that I didn't remember which number belonged to which power. Running out of time and nervous about detection, I had decided to keep it on 12 and see where that got me. If trouble came up, I'd try to change it, but I'd have to stick with invisibility till then.

Thankfully, the back door to the ranch house was unlocked. Aleksey probably thought that since everyone was coming in and out, it was more practical to leave it unlocked. Besides, it was known by everyone by then that I had some control of my ghost powers despite the watch. Locks meant nothing to ghosts.

Closing the door quietly behind me, I kept myself invisible and glanced around the clean and gleaming kitchen. My ears were on high alert. Lessons from the future had taught me how to listen for the slightest of sounds to detect zombies. These lessons still had useful practice as I carefully tuned my ears to the insides of the building.

Everything was quiet, calm, and peaceful. Besides the hum of the refrigerator and the steady ticking of a clock, the ranch house was silent. If anyone was in the house, they weren't moving. Maybe Aleksey was sleeping. It was late at night; there was a great possibility everyone was snoozing the dark hours away and awaiting Vlad's return.

I padded across the slick kitchen floor, grabbed a steak knife from a wooden holder on the counter, avoided the dent by the island from the time when Vlad tried to blast Taj and I away, and entered the dark music room. The back staircase took me to the third floor. Peeking around the corner at the top, I saw no guard by Toushiro's room.

No guards. That was odd, but it made total sense once I thought about it. If Taj and I had escaped, Vlad had nothing really to guard. Why not send everyone out to recapture Taj and me? Vlad had Aleksey here as backup. From his perspective, things were covered.

Glancing around and looking like an escaping lunatic with all my paranoia and knife-wielding, I walked over to the door where Toushiro and his men were being held. Surprising enough, this door was unlocked too. I didn't think about it at the time. I just thought I was lucky.

The look on Toushiro's face when he saw it was me entering the room was priceless. Him and his men just stared in complete shock and astonishment at me. If their gaged mouths could drop open, they would have. It was as if they were looking at a dead person. I guess after Taj's and mine last escape, they kinda figured we wouldn't make it very far.

Rushing over to untie Toushiro first, I told him in a furtive whisper, "I didn't get to thank you for what you did last time. You helped us out big time, dude. Thanks for taking the heat back there. They didn't hurt you too badly, did they?"

Once his gag was removed, Toushiro cleared his dry throat before answering. "You would have done the same for me, kid," he said, grinning like a kid in a candy store. "It was worth the black eye."

Frowning, I looked up into his face. Sure enough, Toushiro right eye was swelling the swirling colors of plum and lilac purples. It didn't look pretty. He could hardly open that eye. Guilt seeped its way into me, making me wince not only in sympathy but with a little regret mixed in.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, looking back down to the rope binds I was trying to saw through with the steak knife. This was taking more time than planned.

"Hey, don't be!" Toushiro assured me. "That was little price to pay for yours and Taj's freedom. And look at you! You're like a mini Rambo, here. It's amazing how you're doing all this! I'm proud of you, you know that, right?"

A smile briefly cracked my face. Glancing up at him, I muttered, "Thanks, Toushiro."

Toushiro seemed to see something in me then. I'm not sure what he noticed, but it made him concerned. His smile dropped as he asked carefully, "Are you okay, Danny? Where's Taj?"

"Taj," I said after a short pause. "Taj got caught. I need to rescue him. I know this sounds crazy, and you don't have to or anything but...will you help me?"

Toushiro sighed and smiled at me. "Of course I will, Danny," he said. "If you say that kid is good, I believe you and I'll help you, but I can't say the same for the rest of my men. I would like some explanation behind all this mess before we do anything rash, though."

"I'll explain everything along the way," I told him in a rush as the first strand of rope was finally cut away. "First, we have to get your men free and get all of us out of here. I have a plan. We just need-."

"Danny, that's great," Toushiro said with a patient smile. "But...what about you? Something has...changed. You've grown up in a short span of time, I can tell. You're not the same Danny I knew a few hours ago. What happened to you? Are you okay?"

Our gazes connected for a second. Out of words for what I was feeling and empty of actions, I simply pressed my lips together in silent indecision. Toushiro solemnly stared back, almost willing me on to open up to him with his intense green gaze. My mouth found itself opening before I had gathered enough words together to form a sentence.

That mouth clamped shut the second I heard the muffled sound of footfalls outside the door. Without a word, I got up and rushed over to the door to the room with my knife ready to strike as soon as it opened. I didn't have to wait long. Second later, the door swung open and Aleksey was stepping into the room.

Releasing a battle cry, I stabbed at Aleksey, aiming at his chest. Surprisingly fast, Aleksey instinctively batted my hand with the knife away from his body. At the same time, he attacked by whipping his hand forward and wrapping his fingers around my throat. With something that sounded like a roar, Aleksey lifted me off my feet and slammed me into the wall. Colors exploded across my vision as my skull got jolted against the hard surface and from the sudden lack of air getting into my lungs.

"Danny?" Aleksey said in surprise. "But Vlad said-? How the hell did you-?"

That surprise was just enough for Aleksey to ease his grip on my throat. Taking a long, desperate breath, I struck out with my foot in a last ditch effort to free myself. My foot connected viciously with Aleksey's goods. Yeah, it was dirty and below the belt, but I didn't care. Hey, the man probably deserved it.

A strangled yelp came from the grown man, and the grip on my throat loosened. Suddenly I was falling, the floor painfully caught me, the room was spinning, and air was back in my lungs. Choking on the new oxygen, I lifted my leg and kicked at the inside of Aleksey's knee that was nearest to me. The man dropped like a sack of potatoes. Snatching up my knife, I did the opposite as I scrambled to my feet and flung myself around the doorway and careened into the hall. Time to get out of there!

Aleksey was seconds behind me as I raced down the hall and recklessly took the stairs two at a time back to the music room. My mind grouped for a plan. There was no way I could keep running from Aleksey, but I couldn't let him touch me. The second that happened, I would be a goner; my recent escape was only because I had surprise on my side. Aleksey was strong, vicious, and experienced when it came down to fighting hand to hand. I wouldn't last more than five minutes against him without more ghost powers in my arsenal.

Arriving in the kitchen, I used my better agility and momentum to jump up onto the island and slide across it just as Aleksey was grabbing for me. Landing in a crouch on the other side, I turned myself invisible again before standing back up and jumping out of Aleksey's way as he swiftly rounded the island. He swore as he realized what I had done.

"I know what you're doing, Danny," Aleksey said with a growling kind of chuckle as he slowly glanced around the room. He wasn't looking for me. That was useless. Instead, he was listening for me. "It won't work, boy. Despite my old age, I have excellent hearing."

Slowly and carefully, I took a step back and away from Aleksey. He was dangerously close to me. If he reached out with his hand, he could have nabbed me. Gritting my teeth to ignore the chaotic thumping of my heart against my chest, I brought my knife up for protection as I dared another back step away. It was a good thing we weren't in the woods or anything, because I'd probably reenact the cliche movie moment of stepping on a twig and alerting the enemy to where my location was.

Instead of relying on a nonexistent twig, Aleksey took matters into his own hands. Still glancing around the kitchen and listening for the slightest of sounds, he opened the cabinet behind him and took out a sack of flour. Before I could get out of there, he had the packet opened and had the grainy flour flung around the room.

White powder was everywhere. Flour stuck to every surface it landed on, which included me. Invisibility was ultimately useless if you're covered in flour, I quickly realized.

"Ah! There you are, boy!" Aleksey boisterously declared with delight. "Your sweet, silly game of hide and seek if officially over, my friend." He paused as I stood still and swallowed with fright. With a wave of his hand, he told me with a vicious grin, "Run, Danny."

Taking his advice, I sprinted desperately for the main living room, coughing on the flour caught in my lungs. Aleksey barreled after me, laughing as he did so. He liked the chase. Of course, he was the one winning.

Once in the living room, I tried to slow Aleksey down by jumping over coffee tables and throwing down armchairs. As if he was a rhino, he simply plowed through these things. In only the matter of seconds, he had caught up to me.

"Gotcha, boy!"

Big, powerful hands grabbed the back of my shirt, yanking me to a strangled stop. Gentle as a chainsaw, Aleksey brutally jerked me backwards and off my feet, throwing me roughly to the ground. That soft carpet did nothing to help with the fall. With a yelp, I landed on my side and rolled to a stop on my stomach.

Glancing up, I saw Aleksey was coming back for me, smug smile tinting his lips. It was time to change powers. Swiftly, I spun the combination on the broken watch face. With a sinking heart, though, I knew by then that I was already too late. Still, I was going to keep fighting.

"Oh, no. Can't have you doing that, Danny," Aleksey said as he waltzed up to me. "What did Vlad tell you about that watch? We can't have you messing with it again."

Before I could get past the first two numbers, the man was on me. He grabbed me by my hair as I tried to roll out of his way. Felt like the skin around my skull was going to be ripped off as Aleksey lifted me to my feet before kneeing me in the stomach. Successfully knocking the air out of me, Aleksey let me fall to the ground in front of him. As I acted similar to a dying fish, the man put his hands on his hips and laughed mercilessly down at his caught prize.

"Ah, I'll admit it, boy. It was a good run. You almost had me with that cute invisibility trick. And if it wasn't for the motion sensors by the door, I would still be sleeping. It was all very exciting, but, alas, all fun must come to an end," Aleksey said conversationally.

Anger and frustration running through me, I glared up at the man as I tried getting back to my feet. This proved to be useless as Aleksey swiftly lifted a booted foot and kicked me in the forehead. The hit knocked me down onto my back. My senses hadn't even returned yet as Aleksey lowered himself and sat heavily on my chest, pinning my arms to my sides with his knees. With the weight crushing me, I could hardly squirm under the heavy man.

"Ug! Get off me!" I shouted up at Aleksey. "You're crushing me, you fatty!"

Aleksey blinked at me in surprise before inclining his head and laughing boldly. "Oh, I'm sorry," he sneered into my face. "Are you uncomfortable, boy? You still think I'm going to spare you, don't you? You think because my nephew gave me orders not to hurt you that I'll abide by them. How darling!"

In the peak of my burning hatred for the mad man, I spat straight into his face in one last act of defiance. The glob of saliva hit the mark, and Aleksey hissed in disgust as he reared back. He back handed me across the face so hard, my skin felt raw and my eyes stung with tears.

"You little brat," Aleksey seethed as he wiped spit off his face.

"At least I'm not a fat, dumb bully," I shot back.

"I'll be doing Vlad a favor when I kill you."

"Won't be long now. Your substantial amount of blubber seems to be doing the job for you."

Snarling in his fury, Aleksey shot his hands out and wrapped them around my throat. Instantly, I couldn't breathe. "Here!" he said with a cruel smile. "I'll make it quicker for you by choking the life from you!"

Blackness haunted the corners of my vision of Aleksey's inane, grinning face. Squeezing my eyes shut to ignore the hot burning of my dying lungs, I focused on my hand still clutching the steak knife. I brought it up and piteously plunged it into Aleksey's thigh.

Instantly, Aleksey gave a loud roar of pain and let go of my neck. Sweet air entered my lungs once again, and I gratefully gulped down the oxygen. Swearing like a sailor, Aleksey gripped the knife sticking out of his thigh and pulled the blade out with another shout of agony. Hot blood pooled around the wound and dripped down onto my arm.

Alarm swelled up in me. Aleksey hadn't gotten off me like I expected. Instead, he sat on me heavier than ever. And he was livid. All my move had done was piss him off. Fear swallowed me whole as I stared up at the man. Snorting like a mad bull in his rage and pain, Aleksey held up my knife which still dripped with his own blood and glared with absolute loathing into my frightened face.

"Your death _was_ going to be quick and painless, you miscreant little brat," Aleksey snarled into my face, "but now I'm going to make you wish you'd never set foot into my house."

With a crazy chuckle that sent an unwelcoming shiver down my spine, Aleksey slashed the knife across my face. My cheek sliced open as the blade slid smoothly through the skin. A strangled, short shout of pain escaped me, and I writhed under Aleksey's bulky, laughing form. I could hardly breathe, and some lunatic was going to slice me up for dinner or something! This was about the time I started to panic.

"I believe it would look better if they were matching scars," Aleksey said, stifling a deranged giggle. "What can I say? I like symmetry. Don't you, Danny?"

Aleksey raised the knife again to cut me across the other cheek, but something silver flew across my narrowed vision and sunk into Aleksey's wrist before he could lower that hand. Stunned more than hurt from the knife blade that was stuck inside his arm, Aleksey looked up in bewilderment. All he saw was a blur of movement before someone's heel was planted into his face and he was thrown off me with a sharp yowl.

"Toushiro!" I croaked in surprise from my position on the floor.

Toushiro hardly glanced my way. His sole focus was Aleksey as the big man lumbered to his feet, uttering a low, rancor chuckle as he yanked the knife out of his arm and chucked aside. Aleksey quickly sized Toushiro up and cockily cracked his knuckles. From his happy attitude, it looked like he was just getting geared up. Toushiro, on the other hand, was still and silent in a ready fighting position. Quiet fury radiated from Toushiro as he did nothing but look at Aleksey with a calm look of disgust.

"Oh, you're furious, aren't you?" Aleksey said, flashing a knowing smile. Toushiro didn't react; he just stood there. Tapping the side of his head, Aleksey told him, "I know these things. You don't like me hurting the pathetic brat. You probably don't like anyone hurting any kind of brat. You're a father, aren't you?" Toushiro's frown deepened. Aleksey was thrilled over this as he laughed, "Ah ha, I hit the mark, there, didn't I, Jap?"

"You like to name call, don't you, Mr. Masters?" Toushiro finally said. His voice and tone was even, but I could hear the venom behind his words. I'd never seen Toushiro so pissed. It was almost scary.

"What are you going to do about it?" Aleksey chuckled darkly.

"Oh, I can't do anything at this point, sir," Toushiro said with a thin, humorless smile. "You can't fix crazy. Or teach them any lessons, for that matter."

Aleksey's smile vanished. He wasn't going to take lip from me, and he sure wasn't going to take it from this grown man. Throwing a powerful arm back, Aleksey ran forward to punch Toushiro, releasing an enraged roar. On any normal day, Aleksey probably could have taken Toushiro on and had the chance of winning, but it was anger and hate that drove him on that night. The emotions had overtook him, blinding him to any kind of danger and sensibility. It was his ultimate demise.

It was all over before it had started. Toushiro had waited for Aleksey to make the first move. As the man charged toward him, Toushiro whipped out two hidden knives, dropped to the ground, pushed himself under Aleksey's legs, and executed a simultaneous, swift flick of both his wrists just as Aleksey was running over him.

Aleksey staggered forward in surprise and horror before dropping to his hands and knees with a cry of agony. Face flushed red with wrath, Aleksey bellowed back at Toushiro, "You...you bastard! I can't walk! You cut my...my Achilles tendons! I'll murder you!"

Toushiro was already back on his feet. Sniffing dispassionately, he rolled his shoulders and said emotionlessly, "I could have done worse, Mr. Masters."

"Bastard! Swine! I swear, I'll kill you for this, you son of a bi-!"

To spare us from all his deafening ranting and raving, Toushiro had nonchalantly picked a lamp that had fallen off its stand in our tussle and whacked Aleksey on the back of his head with it. Knocked out, the big man flopped like a dying animal to the floor with a grunt. With a pensive expression, Toushiro stood over him for an extra second before settling his interests on me.

"Danny," Toushiro uttered in a soft voice. The anger was completely gone. Worry and concern had replaced all the furious emotions that had used to be there on his face.

Sitting there dumbly on the floor, I felt like an idiot as all I could say in a shaky, weak voice was, "I'm fine. I'm fine."

Toushiro didn't buy my lie for a second. He rushed forward, landed on his knees in front of me in his hurry, and wrapped his arms around me in a tight hug. Getting over my initial shock, I fiercely hugged Toushiro back and buried my head into his chest as tears rose to my eyes from a well they had been trapped in for many weeks. Gripping Toushiro as if I couldn't allow him to let me go, I clung to the man and finally let my wall of emotionlessness break away.

Almost getting killed was always a jolting experience, but coupled with everything I had gone through the past month and the fact that someone who loved me was finally here by my side, and the result is one mess of a teenage ghost superhero. Relief sunk fast and soothingly down my body, a sensation in and of itself that was alleviating to my heart and soul that had been aching and threatening to break apart for so long. Could hardly believe it; I was alive. I had survived so many horrors, hardships, and struggles, and here I was with a friend; a friend who cared so much for me although we hardly actually knew each other. Never again would I take for granted a simple hug.

Sniffing back his own tears, Toushiro rested his cheek on the top of my head and let me get it all out. "Hey, it's okay," he whispered calmly to me. "You're not in this alone anymore, kid. It's over for now. You did great, Danny. You did great."

After a minute or so, Toushiro finally gripped me by the shoulders and pushed me back so we could look at each other. He offered me a sad smile, and I returned it as I pushed tears out of my eyes with the back of my hand. I hissed as I touched the cut on my cheek. Pulling my hand away, I saw that it was smeared with blood.

"It's not as deep as it seems," Toushiro told me when he saw my look of alarm at the sight of my own blood. "You'll be fine. Been through some rough times lately, haven't you, kiddo?"

"You have no idea," I said with a shuddering sigh.

"Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger," Toushiro said. "Remember that. And since you're not dead yet, you have to be one strong kid."

"And yet I keep crying like a baby," I muttered with a bitter smile.

"Crying is good for the soul," Toushiro affirmed me with a stern nod. "If you weren't crying, I'd be more worried about you."

"You're just saying that to make me feel better," I said, trying not to grin.

"Well, it seems to have worked," Toushiro pointed out. "You have your sharp attitude back. See? There's that sarcastic grin of yours." He chuckled before adding more seriously, "Keep that sarcasm, Danny. It's part of your personality. The second you lose it, that's probably when you'll lose yourself."

This statement caught me off guard. For a long time, Vlad had been trying to figure out where my sarcasm came from. Constantly he criticized me for it or tried to pick it apart as if it was something he could dissect. Like Vlad, sometimes I questioned my own sarcastic attitude and why I used it so much or if it was actually a weakness of mine, but here Toushiro was with such a simple answer. Toushiro saw me for who I was, and a part of what made me up was that sardonic flare.

"Thanks, Toushiro," I said, seriously meaning it.

"No problem, Danny," Toushiro said. He wiped the smile off his face as he sighed and heaved himself to his feet. As he helped me to my own, he asked, "What's our next move? This is your show now, after all. Give the order, and I'll be on it."

Narrowing my eyes in contemplation, I voiced my thoughts aloud. "We'll need to tie up Aleksey before we leave. Your men...they don't have to come with us. If there's a car, they can take it. We won't be needing one. The horses will be better and more flexible anyways. And...weapons. We'll need them."

"Guess I should go untie my men, then," Toushiro said with a guilty smile.

"You didn't untie them yet?" I asked in surprise.

"As soon as I got myself free, I went to rescue you."

"Oh."

"I'll free my men, give them orders to go home, and then I'll join you down here in a few minutes," Toushiro said as he walked toward the staircase. "Okay?"

I nodded, my mind too focused on future plans to come up with an audible response. First things first, I needed some weapons. After a quick search of Aleksey's pockets, I found the house keys and hurried up to the second floor's room where all our confiscated stuff ended up. The room was a treasure trove of different kinds of weapons. It was time to load up.

No hesitation was involved this time when I grabbed a pistol, checked it for bullets, then shoved it between the waistband of my jeans and the small of my back. From Toushiro's stash of knives, I took some and put them in various pockets as a kind of last resort. I also found an extra necklace with Taj's tattoo symbol on it. Swinging it around my neck, I was officially protected from any future nightmares.

Glancing around, I found my backpack, picked it up, then paused as a thought hit me. Going with this idea, I rushed out of the room and went straight for Vlad's. Unlocking the door and swinging it wide open, I let myself express one of my first wicked smiles. I'd hit the jackpot.

Vlad hadn't come all the way out into the jungle without a little protection. He had kept his toys well hidden while he was putting on the nice charade for me, but that masquerade was long forgotten. Covering the bed and littering some of the floor were a mix match of Vlad's and even my own ghost gadgets. From past experiences, I knew most of the devices and generally how to use them. Some I'd even been one of the unfortunate victims caught on the receiving end of.

"Oh, taste of his own medicine won't begin to cover it," I chuckled to myself as I stuffed as much ghost weapons as I could into my backpack.

The heavy weight felt good as I slung the stuffed bag onto my shoulders and briskly walked out of the room to the sound of rapid Japanese. Curiously, I glanced down to the living room one story below. Toushiro was talking to his disgruntled teammates, probably hastily explaining what was going on and why he was staying behind. At times, they all glanced up at me and argued heatedly about something. Feeling awkward and in the way, I stayed where I was and watched the discussion from above. Not much I could do.

At long last, Toushiro convinced the men to leave without him. Grudgingly, the Japanese men shot me a few confused, dirty looks in my direction before walking out the front door. Saying goodbye, Toushiro closed the door after them, heaved a heavy sigh, and then looked up at me with a grim expression. That had been hard on him, I could tell. I don't think his men understood his decision, and it's never fun when people don't believe in you or respect your choices. I of all people knew how that felt.

With an ironic smile, I realized that, even as an adult, people weren't always going to trust in your decisions. It didn't matter if you were a kid, teen, or a grandpa, a lot of people were going to stick to their own beliefs and agendas and laugh in your face about your own. Age wasn't a big factor, in my situation. It was just an excuse.

It was Vlad's excuse.

With a sinking heart, I saw the truth for the first time. Vlad didn't think he could change me one day because I was a teenager and I was impressionable. He wanted to change me for the sake of change. Everything I stood, fought, and lived for and was exactly what he hated. The man couldn't stand to see it; he had to get rid of it. Vlad had to prove to himself that morals and a good nature wasn't something that could properly sustain itself. The only legit way for Vlad to get rid of what he most hated was to mold it into something completely different, into something he approved of. To win, Vlad would have to destroy everything that was me. He would never stop until he completely transformed me into himself. He would never stop.

Well, if Vlad never was going to stop...then so would I. _I_ would never stop.

"Danny?" Toushiro's voice yanked me out of my random epiphany. He was giving me a funny look as he asked with a dubious smile, "Are you alright, kid? Don't space out on me, here. We got things to do, people to rescue, and evil butts to kick. Come on, superhero, let's hop to it!"

"Oh, right," I said with a sheepish smile. Dashing down the stairs, I said, "Just thinking...about stuff. Did you tie up Alek - oh, you already have. Hopefully, he won't bleed to death." Toushiro grunted. He didn't care if Aleksey died. Moving on through to the kitchen, I continued. "Anyways, I need something to eat before we saddle the horses and get out of here. We have to cut off Vlad before he returns, so we have to hurry."

"Saddle the horses?" Toushiro asked skeptically.

"Yeah," I said, nodding as I grabbed a can of nuts and a bottle of water. Protein and hydration. Exactly what I needed for the coming journey. As we headed out the back door, I told Toushiro, "We need something fast that can still traverse the jungle. Horses are perfect for the job."

"Oh, I don't deny that fact," he grumbled behind me. Toushiro only complained when he was upset or really anxious. Glancing behind my shoulder, I saw that the man was lighting a cigarette and trying not to look too agitated. It was one of those rare moments I was able to see him without his mask of serenity. I couldn't help but laugh a little.

"What's the matter?" I asked teasingly. "You don't like horses, Toushiro?"

"I wouldn't know," Toushiro answered with a roguish smile. "I've never ridden before."

"You're kidding."

"Wish I was, kiddo."

"This should be fun, then."

"Lots."

Toushiro and I shared grins as I flung the stable doors wide open and flicked on the lights. Putting my hands on my hips, I searched for my old friend. Eyes settling on an excited Perro, my grin widened tremendously. The horse was looking at me with unbridled delight and anticipation in his doleful, dark eyes as he swung his head back and forth and snorted in his stall. The way he frolicked around in confined area, he could have been mistaken for a new born colt.

"Bet you're ready to ride, buddy," I said. I swear, he nodded back.

Oh, yeah. I had definitely missed Perro.

A/N: I missed Perro too! Ha ha! And Toushiro. Writing for Toushiro for me is just...too awesome. I'm not sure why. One day I'll have to plug him into a future novel of mine. His character is just too much fun to give up.

Anyways, more action is to come! Vlad and Taj is in the next chapter, so I'm pretty excited about writing it! Please review, and I'll see you all again next weekend!


	29. Chapter 29 Rescue Mission

A/N: I can't apologize enough about not updating in 3 whole weeks! That's what happens when you're a college student. Hell week, finals week, and return to home week all happen one after another, and you get no time to write anything. Trust me, when you guys get there, you will understand my pain.

But enough about being busy! I wrote you guys an awesome chapter, and I'm excited to give it out! I did do something I've never done before in Powerless or in this fic. I wrote most of this chapter in 3 person POV. I toiled forever over this chapter before deciding to write it this way. Besides, a lot of you wanted to see Taj's reaction to leaving Danny behind. Quite frankly, I did too. Hopefully, it's not too crappy. I'm much better in first person POV. Anyways, enjoy the long chapter!

PS: do not worry about the beginning of this chapter not making a lot of sense. I do jump around and form my writing to accommodate what a certain characters knows at different times for a dramatic effect.

Disclaimer: Don't own any Danny Phantom characters! All other characters are mine!

Previously in Incommunicado: After being stuck in the nightmare future by himself for a week or so, Danny finally found a way out. While trying to rescue Toushiro, he was attacked and almost killed by the insane Aleksey. Fortunately, Toushiro saved Danny and agreed to help him save Taj. While getting ready to leave the house, Danny realized that Vlad wanted him to change so much because he hated everything that Danny was and stood for. Danny was never going to be free of the man because Vlad couldn't live with everything he stood for being blatantly discredited by Danny.

Chapter 29 Rescue Mission

-Taj-

The familiar flash whitewashed the world around him, transporting Taj to the past in an instant. Second later, Taj found himself sitting on a wooden platform. The blackness of a warm, muggy jungle night clung to his still and silent form. Taj's eyes stared blankly ahead, denying everything that he was seeing and trying to piece the fragments of what recently happened together. He couldn't handle the truth.

"_He's back!"_

"_Grab him!"_

Swallowing quickly in his rising panic, Taj glanced around the platform as a swarm of men rushed toward him. It was as if the teen couldn't see the men as his eyes swept the area desperately, looking for somebody who wasn't there.

Chest rising and falling in struggling gasps, Taj gripped the sides of his head as if his brain was going to explode from the pressure of stress, guilt, and inner turmoil. "D-Danny," he breathed, shaking his head. Hatred for himself and his circumstances gripped him, crushing the last bit of resolution in the young man.

"N-no. No. No! Not again! Not...again!" Taj shouted in his anguish, pounding the floor with an angry fist. Sharp pain spiked up Taj's arm. His knuckles burned, as if punishing Taj for his every action since his birth. The physical pain was a strangely beautiful outlet for all that Taj was feeling. Once he had started, Taj continued to punch the wooden platform beneath him as hot tears of grief blurred his vision.

He couldn't stand being who he was anymore. He hated his power. He couldn't take the heartache of losing everything he had ever loved or cherished. First his sister, then his mother, and now Danny.

The dark powers that resided in him had seemed to have finally won. Taj felt like he was breaking from the inside, shattering under the pressure of all the responsibility that had been bestowed upon him since his evil and ever-haunting birth. His entire identity and who he was and stood for was slowly crumbling under all the built-up desolate oppression. He didn't have the strength to fight anymore. Everything. Everything was gone...and it was all his fault.

Multiple hands seized Taj all at once, yanking him to his feet and handcuffing his hands in front of him. Gritting his teeth in confusion and fury, Taj struggled viciously against the men as if he was a wild animal being tied down. Kicking out and thrusting his elbow and fists at anyone who was dumb enough to get in his way, Taj nailed a few of the men before Diego finally got wise and struck the teen hard on the back of his head. Releasing a grunt, Taj staggered dizzily before falling on his side and remaining still. Squeezing his eyes shut, Taj covered his head with his arms and tried to keep in a sob as Diego and his men stood over him, all breathing hard from the effort that it had taken to subdue the boy.

From his curled up position on the ground, Taj suddenly heard Vlad's voice as the man marched up onto the platform and asked irritably, "Where's Danny?"

"We don't know," Diego answered, a bit of confusion and frustration in his voice. "He wasn't with Nice when he reappeared."

Vlad stared at Diego for a moment, bafflement as his expression before it turned dark and angry. The man was tired of all of Danny's measly tricks. The boy needed to be caught and taken care of before all his plans went awry. Vlad had no time to play hide-and-go-seek. He wanted answers, and he wanted them now.

Glaring down at the pitiful and broken form of Taj, Vlad kneeled beside the boy, snatched a handful of Taj's hair, and remorselessly wrenched him to his feet. "Unfortunately, Mr. Nice, I've run out of time for niceties," Vlad growled into Taj's face, "Tell me now where Danny is."

Wincing from the physical but also internal pain, Taj gathered the remaining bits of his fragile sanity as he answered, "H-he...he wasn't touching me. I left him. He...he's n-n-not coming back. I left him." Another sob wracked Taj's body as he said miserably, "I didn't m-mean to! P-please, believe me! I didn't mean to!"

"_What?_ What are you talking about?" Vlad shouted back at the boy, shaking Taj as if the jolt would force the teen to make sense.

"Th-they have to be t-touching me to c-come back w-with me," Taj gasped. He clung to Vlad's arm as spasms of pain rolled across his skull from the man's grip on Taj's hair. Squeezing his teary eyes shut, Taj yelped at Vlad, "Danny w-went with me, but...b-but he wasn't...I didn't...I'm s-sorry."

"Where is Danny? When will he be back?" Vlad asked with as much forbearance as possible through clenched teeth. Taj was successfully wearing down the man's thinning patience. Little to no sense was coming out of the boy, and it was hard to distinguish anything through the crying and stuttering.

Taj didn't answer Vlad right away. Instead of a verbal response, a new set of tears rolled down his face as he shook his head back and forth. Vlad didn't understand.

"I won't ask again!" Vlad practically snarled in his vexation, violently shaking the boy again and managing to get a grunt of pain out of Taj. "Where is Danny?"

"He's i-in the f-f-fu-other dimension," Taj squeaked out in a pitiful whisper.

"And when will he get back?"

Taj shook his head again before opening his eyes and staring Vlad straight in the face. Chest tight and throat clogged with emotion, Taj told him truthfully, "D-don't you see? Danny...Danny's not coming b-back. He's...stuck there. F-forever."

Vlad stood stock still, his face blank and clear. He stared at Taj's face and into his eyes, reading the boy's distraught expression, fresh tears, and look of complete and utter misery to the best of his ability. Taj had to be joking. His tall tale about a stuck Danny had to be a trick him and Danny put together before coming back. Despite his beliefs, though, Vlad couldn't find a spot of deceit on Taj's face. It was quite obvious. Taj was telling the truth.

Abruptly, Vlad released Taj's hair, aggressively shoved him into Diego's hands, and snapped at his hired help as he stormed off the platform, "Bring Taj to the truck. We're going back to the house. Now."

Holding Taj firm, Diego asked quizzically, "What about Danny, _señor_?"

Vlad didn't pause in his stride as he briskly and cooly said over his shoulder, "Danny isn't a problem anymore."

Consternation showed itself on Diego's face at this cryptic yet alarming news. Shoving a frown onto his lips to hide his other emotions, the man glanced down at Taj standing meekly in his grasp. He couldn't believe Danny was gone. Just like that? It wasn't possible. Then again, Diego had seen Danny be taken by Taj, and he had been there when Taj had come back by himself. All evidence pointed to Danny's disappearance.

Heaving a small sigh to righten himself, Diego looked out at his group of men, gave them Vlad's orders in Spanish, and then prodded Taj forward. Staring bleakly at the ground through eyes still ringed with tears, Taj obeyed without a word.

Touching Taj wasn't something any of the men wanted to do at that point. Despite having a lack of knowledge of the English language, they didn't need to grasp Vlad's and Taj's conversation to believe that Taj was dangerous. All of them understood that two boys had vanished that afternoon and only one had came back. Even Diego avoided handling the boy besides a tap or push in the right direction as the group walked off the platform and followed Vlad through the deserted village and back to the road.

The entire village was in shambles. Shacks and huts that had been standing tall and unreserved only hours before were smoldering or already burned all the way to hot ashes scattered across the jungle floor. The tribe was nowhere to be seen. Clothing that had been put out to dry after a wash, hammocks that had been strung up for sleep, and other pieces of furniture the tribe had used to make their homes unique had all been hurriedly packed away and carried off. Not a sign was left beside the burning rubble. It was as if the entire tribe had packed up and left. Taj guessed that was what happened after Danny and him had vanished and left the oracle and her tribe behind. Again, Taj was reminded of how many lives he had ruined because of his power.

The trek back to the road took at least an hour or more. Taj didn't have time to wallow in his sorrow because he was so busy keeping up with the men escorting him. Their flash lights bobbed around the foreboding jungle, casting sinister shadows in every direction. Roots and protruding branches seemed to be grabbing at the teen as he struggled to stumble along the forest floor at the group's relentless pace, tripping him up and making the trek difficult and wearisome. Every time Taj fell, Diego was always a second behind, grabbing the teen by his shirt and dragging him back to his feet.

When the group finally arrived at the one-lane dirt road where their vehicles were stationed, the sun was just peaking around the mountain horizon. It made the dark sky look like a fire was burning up the skyline, consuming the blackness with its sunny flames.

Scratched up, covered in dirt, and looking as miserable as he felt, Taj let himself get hoisted into the back of a truck in the line up of cars. "Sit," Diego ordered Taj, pointing downward. Grateful for the rest, Taj sat without hesitation. Shouting commands and directions in Spanish, Diego made sure his men knew where they were heading and what they were to do before he banged on the hood of the truck and sat down on the rim of the truck bed like the two other men with him were. All the vehicles started up, instantly stirring a massive cloud of dust in their wakes as they drove off.

"Drink," Diego sternly instructed Taj again as he dropped his canteen bottle into the boy's lap. Taj didn't need the order. With shaking hands, he unscrewed the cap and gulped down the tepid water. The second he looked finished, Diego snatched the canteen back as if merely Taj's touch would curse the object.

Releasing a shuddering sigh, Taj leaned his back against the back of the truck and observed the three men seated around him. Two of them were watching the landscape with a certain trained intensity. Like his trip in the truck before, Diego kept his dark gaze on Taj and never let up.

For one of the first times in his life, Taj wished that he was alone. All that had happened to him in the past seemed to be catching up with him finally, and it was tearing him to pieces. He felt like this was a private matter. It was wrong for all these people to be watching as he had a complete and utter mental and emotional breakdown.

Despite the fact he wanted to stay strong and firm against the onslaught of emotions, Taj succumbed pretty quickly to tears again. The teen curled his legs up and wrapped his arms around his knees, turning himself into a small ball as he rested his forehead on his knees. Staring blearily at his lap through his tears, Taj knew this was the best privacy he was going to get at the moment.

As if the dam of emotion had finally been broken, Taj sobbed until there was nothing left and he felt raw. He cried for his sacrificing real mother, for his broken and insane second one, for his dead sister he left behind, and for his best friend Danny who was now gone forever too. Finally, he cried for himself. He had never had a normal childhood or just a normal life for that matter. Life was one heart-aching fight after another. There was no more happiness. Not anymore. Not while he was under Vlad's control. He was probably never going to see his mother again. Never would he be able to see Julie in real life like he hoped he would. This realization didn't deliver the fear Taj expected. Instead, he felt cold and hollow. It was the worst feeling he had ever experienced.

Conquering the night with bursts of vibrant pink, tantalizing orange, and fiery red rays of sunlight, the sun slowly commanded the skies to turn a deep, perfect blue as the hours passed by. By the time it was eight in the morning, Taj had shed all his tears. Empty of everything, he stared unseeingly at the truck bed.

Suddenly, the line up of vehicles stopped. Taj didn't even notice the random halt until Diego stood up, drawing his gun. His men were now on high alert too.

Taj's eyebrows furrowed together in suspicion. Instincts forced him to tense up. In addition, instincts also did something unexpected. It forced him to hope. With the hope came fear. Without realizing it, Taj clung to that emotion as if his life depended on it. Any emotion was better than none, in his personal opinion.

A chill slithered down all their spines. Despite the sun heating up the jungle like an outdoor sauna, all four in the truck bed breathed out crisp white wisps from an eerie cold that had descended upon the group. Taj watched with wide eyes as the floor under him crystalized a thin layer of frost and ice. With a sputter, the truck engine died. The driver cursed in Spanish as he turned the keys and tried getting the frozen engine to start again but to no avail.

"What are you doing?" Diego asked Taj, tapping the side of his gun against Taj's head to get the boy's attention.

"T-that's not me," Taj breathed, shaking his head in wonder.

"Don't lie to me," Diego growled. The man was tired of all the supernatural things that had happened to him and his team lately. The last thing he wanted that day was another wild display of paranormal power.

Metal glinted in the sun as two tiny objects flashed out of nowhere and embedded themselves in the chests of Diego's two men. Surprise barely registered on the men's faces before their attacker jumped into the truck bed and kicked them over the side of the vehicle. Diego fired a shot at the mysterious attacker, but the man had already jumped out of the truck and crouched out of sight. It all happened so quickly, Taj wasn't quite sure what had happened.

"Stay," Diego ordered Taj when the boy started to get to his feet. Taj frowned as Diego placed a hand on his head and pushed him back onto his butt.

Taking a step forward, Diego listened and looked intently for the assaulter. As he checked the left side of the truck where his men had fallen over, the attacker appeared from the right. With the likes of a jumping horse, the man vaulted back into the truck bed, spun in a skilled roundhouse kick, and booted Diego's pistol out of his hands with a sharp battle cry. The pistol flew into the jungle, clinking against a tree.

Diego was just fast enough to block the knife swipe for his head. He caught the attacker's wrist before the blade could make contact, kneeing the man in the solar plexus while he still had the chance. The attacker grunted in pain, but he didn't let that stop him from dropping to his haunches and knocking Diego's legs out from under him.

With a sharp shout of alarm, Diego hit the slick, icy truck bed on his hands and knees. Reacting quickly, Diego rolled out of the way of a punch and adeptly got back to his feet to face his attacker, positioning himself protectively in front of a stunned and frightened Taj. It was only when they were facing each other head on that Diego finally recognized the man.

"Toushiro Izumi," Diego sighed in what sounded like a little frustration, a hint of confusion mixed in for good measure. "How did you get free?"

"Talent," Toushiro said, flashing Diego his trademark smile. He skillfully twirled one of his knives with his fingers, sporting a more somber expression as he said, "I'm only here for Taj. Stand down now, Diego, and I won't have to hurt you."

"I have my orders," Diego replied mildly. From his tone, it sounded as if Diego couldn't wait to get rid of the cursed boy. If it wasn't for the job, Diego probably would have shoved Taj happily into Toushiro's arms and walked away. "I must protect Nice and keep him in my employer's custody."

"Good luck with that," Toushiro said, simultaneously throwing one of his knives at his enemy. Diego easily leaned out of the way of the knife, but he had forgotten that Taj was right behind him. Thankfully, Taj had fast enough reflexes to duck the blade before it embedded itself into his skull.

Before Diego could release a sigh of relief, Toushiro was on him. From many years of experience, Diego managed to block most of the Japanese man's blows and throw a few of his own, but Diego knew he wasn't going to win that fight the second he was elbowed to the side of his head. Reeling from the blow as stars danced across his vision, Diego tried to lash out with a quick, blind punch. Light and nimble on his feet, Toushiro effortlessly jumped out of the way, grabbing Diego's wrist to pull him forward. Overextended and off balance, Diego fell over the side of the truck with a shout of surprise. The moment he landed in the dirt with a grimace of pain and slight embarrassment, Diego rolled swiftly under the truck just as Toushiro was coming down after him.

By this time, the driver of the vehicle had gotten a shotgun, loaded it, and was bounding out of the driver's door to help Diego. Toushiro was standing only three feet away from the man when the guy fired a shot at him. Moving with expert precision, Toushiro ducked the shotgun blast, rushed forward, and elbowed the man in the chest before he could fire another shot. In a blur of movement, Toushiro twisted the shotgun out of the man's hands, punched him in the kidney, and then finished him off with a swift strike to a pressure point to the man's exposed neck. In only a few seconds, the man lay sprawled out on the ground and passed out.

Looking up, Toushiro's eyes widened in alarm before he dropped to the ground. From the other side of the truck where Diego had rolled, the man had retrieved his pistol and was firing at Toushiro. Hand to hand combat had never been Diego's strong suit. Give him a gun, though, and he could dominate any situation.

Swearing in Japanese, Toushiro pressed his back against the truck's back wheel. He hadn't meant to lose track of Diego. Now he was in a mess he hadn't expected. Still crouched low, Toushiro took out one of his knives, calculating where Diego was shooting from by the latest gun shot before he stood up while throwing the blade. Not waiting to see if he had met his mark, Toushiro quickly ducked again and listened closely for the result.

The knife whizzed past Diego, coming only an inch away from sticking into his shoulder. Despite not being hurt, Diego let out a short yelp of surprise as the knife whirled by him and thudded deeply into a tree behind. Frowning with a bit of indignation, Diego aimed his pistol to fire another shot where he knew Toushiro was hiding, but he never pulled the trigger as something more alarming caught his attention.

Taking the opportunity to make himself scarce, Taj had climbed up onto the top of the truck and was sliding down the flash frozen windshield when Diego spotted him. The man swore in Spanish as he raced forward to cut the escaping boy off before he got too far. He got there just as Taj was tripping on the icy hood of the car.

Butt hitting the cold, hard surface of the truck, Taj let out a shout of pain just as Diego seized his forearm. Taj was dragged off the hood and shoved ungracefully against the front tire's rusty hubcap, Diego's booted foot pressed painfully against his chest.

"You're not going anywhere, _chico_," Diego whispered irritably down at Taj as he scanned the area once more for Toushiro.

Taj and Diego looked up in alarm as suddenly there was an explosion of ectoplasm a few cars ahead. Straining hard against Diego's boot to see what was happening, Taj's eyes were wide and his heart was slamming with unbearable hope against his chest as he searched desperately for someone through the accumulated smoke.

Toushiro used the explosion to his full advantage. As Diego was distracted, he rushed around the back of the truck and silently came up behind the man. Wrapping one hand around Diego's throat, Toushiro used his other hand to seize the man's wrist holding the gun and painfully twisted it so that Diego had no choice but to drop it.

Grunting in pain and quickly losing consciousness, Diego tried to get Toushiro's grip to let up by backing into a tree. Toushiro only tightened his hold around Diego's neck. Seconds later, Diego's vision darkened and he fell to his knees before passing out completely. Breathing hard from the effort, Toushiro gently let Diego go and slump to the ground.

"There," Toushiro sighed, putting his hands on his hips while shooting a small, satisfied smile in Taj's direction. "The easy part is over."

"W-what do you want with me?" Taj asked the man wearily. His eyes narrowed distrustfully at Toushiro as he scooted away from the approaching man. Glancing fearfully at Diego, Taj asked, "Y-you didn't...k-kill him...did you?"

"Oh, jeez, no! Hell no!" Toushiro said, shaking his head vigorously. "What kind of person do you think I am? I just knocked him out for a few minutes. Look, kid, we gotta get moving. We don't have much time."

"I'm not going anywhere with you," Taj growled up at Toushiro. He tried to sound authoritative, but the mood was skewered by the squeak in his voice.

Toushiro sighed in frustration, but the expression softened a moment later. He crouched down to Taj's eye level, stuck out his hand, and said with a smile, "Hi, Taj. I'm Toushiro Izumi, and I'm not here to hurt you or capture you. Understand? I'm here with Danny to get you out of here, okay? Trust me."

"Danny?" Taj whispered in disbelief. "No. H-how could-?"

Toushiro cut the boy off, saying quickly, "No time to explain, kid. We have to get you out of here first. Grab my hand."

"You could be lying. I can't trust you."

"Sure, I could be lying," Toushiro chuckled as if the conversation was amusing him, "Then again, I could be telling the truth. Either trust me for the next ten minutes, or stay here and get captured by Vlad again. Your choice, kid."

Taj stared into Toushiro's warm, green gaze. He didn't want to trust anyone besides himself, but the man was making that resolution very difficult to uphold. There was something about Toushiro that made Taj want to believe him. Instincts told Taj to run off by himself, but hope firmly said to take hold of Toushiro's hand.

"I must be crazy," Taj whispered as he earnestly latched onto Toushiro's ready hand.

Laughing at the bit of truthfulness in Taj's statement, Toushiro stood up and helped Taj to his feet. He didn't let go of Taj as he rushed around the back of the truck and headed for the jungle beyond. At the very outskirts of the trees, Toushiro pulled Taj to a halt, let his hand go, and put his hands on Taj's shoulders.

"Alright, kiddo, listen up," he told Taj. "This is important to know. Danny and I rigged this whole patch of jungle with booby traps for Diego's men who will come after us. I know where all of them are, but you don't. That means you do exactly what I do and say until I tell you to stop. Where I step, you step. Where I bend over, you do the same. We'll have to move fast, so do your best to keep up and follow my instructions. Got that?"

"Uh...y-yes, sir," Taj said apprehensively. Toushiro made a move to leave, but Taj quickly grabbed onto Toushiro's arm to keep him there as he said timidly, "I...thank you, sir."

Toushiro looked confused for a moment, as if he couldn't believe that Taj was capable of thanking anyone. The expression swiftly changed into a sad smile of understanding a second later. So far, Toushiro had been doing all this rescuing and risking his life business only because he trusted and believed in Danny. But now Toushiro saw what Danny had seen in Taj. Like Danny himself, Taj was just a teenage boy with strange powers and a kind heart. He was the farthest thing from the supernatural terrorist Toushiro used to believe he was.

"You're welcome, Taj," Toushiro said. That said and done, the pair of them took off into the dangerous jungle, a handful of Diego's men only a few minutes behind them.

-Vlad-

Closing the SUV door behind him, Vlad collapsed heavily against the back seat with a tired sigh. Slowly, he allowed his tense muscles to relax as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. Another headache was creeping up on him. Multiple clones and lack of sleep wasn't the reason behind this one, though. It was Danny.

Closing his sore eyes, Vlad went back a few hours prior to when Taj told him that he had accidentally left Danny behind in the other dimension. Was it possible? Was Danny actually gone...forever? Vlad didn't want to believe that, but he couldn't allow his own hopes to cloud his judgement. He had to remain calm and collected, think things through before he jumped to conclusions.

The evidence was stacked against Danny's chances of getting back. One, he had that power-limiting watch on. Two, Danny didn't know very much about whatever dimension he was stuck in. Three, and most importantly, Vlad didn't know any other way Danny could come back besides Taj himself. Vlad had tried to find another way into whatever dimension Taj was constantly transporting to, but he remained unsuccessful. That's why he went after the source itself: Taj. When it all came down to it, Danny was forever stuck in the other dimension.

Although Danny's vanishing act meant that Vlad's plans for Taj weren't going to be messed with for a long while, Vlad couldn't help but feel a heavy weight of regret or sadness hang around his neck. A lot of plans had gone into molding Danny into something better. Now they had to be put on hold or were destroyed completely. So much time, effort, money, and heart had gone into that boy. Vlad was almost sad that it had all gone to waste due to a stupid mistake by Taj.

It was Danny's fault too. The boy was supposed to be intelligent. How could he allow himself to be left behind at such an important play in the game? Vlad had been looking forward to seeing what Danny had in mind and what lengths he was willing to go to beat him. Now it felt like Vlad had been watching an exciting Super Bowl game, only for it to be turned off five minutes before it was finished and never knowing the final score.

How disappointing.

Vlad mentally went through all his plans with his eyes closed for a few hours, never really falling asleep. The man knew he needed some rest soon, but a nap at this time wasn't smart. Time for relaxation would come when they arrived at the ranch house and there was less danger of Taj escaping. Only then would Vlad be able to rest his mind and body, regaining the strength that was severely lacking in him.

A few hours into the trip, Vlad slipped his hand into his pant pocket and drew out a small, red sphere that fit into the palm of his hand. It looked to be made of glass, but it was slightly malleable. The crimson liquid inside rolled and swirled endlessly. An ominous aura exuded from the sphere, casting an air of forbiddance all around.

From the first time Vlad laid his eyes on the object, he knew it was important somehow. Even as he held it lightly between his fingers up toward the light, Vlad couldn't help but wonder why Taj had left such a lovely dark entity behind for anyone to pick up. Assuming the bright light that had led Vlad to their location in the first place was the actual creation of the sphere, Vlad thought Taj would put more importance on the orb. Taj hadn't even asked about it when he got back. Lack of questioning for a simple ball could have been due to his distress over leaving Danny behind, but Vlad thought for sure Taj would say something about it eventually. Maybe he just needed time.

Gradually, the vehicle slowed down until it stopped. Vlad took his eyes off the sphere and frowned in slight irritation. He hadn't told anyone to stop. Actually, his orders while they were caravan driving were to never stop. The incompetence of some people.

"Why have we stopped?" Vlad asked the driver cooly.

"Rocks," the driver answered in a heavily accented English, indicating the line of medium sized boulders lined up like a lame barricade on the road. Each one was too big for the cars to drive over, but they were small enough for someone to heave them around.

"Well, move them then," Vlad ordered the man as if the solution was very simple.

Sighing, the driver opened his door and stepped outside into the hot, moist atmosphere of the jungle. Muttering in Spanish as he strained to pick up the first rock, he complained, _"Kids. Don't they have better things to do?"_

Disaster struck before the first rock stone was moved. Sweating under the heavy weight of the rock in his hands, the man hadn't even taken his second step before he was frozen in place. Literally. Perspiring under the sun one second; block of ice a second later.

As if an instant ice age had been personally sent to that small patch of road in the Ecuador jungles, a wave of extreme chill rushed down the line of vehicles. Engines died from the radical cold, and ice and frost encrusted the metal exteriors and windows. Except for the last truck in the line up, any man who wasn't inside their vehicle was flash frozen into a surprised ice sculpture.

Vlad blinked in shock as he stowed away Taj's red sphere back into his pocket and turned ghost. Wasting no time, the man phased through the roof of the SUV and looked around for the culprit responsible for such a catastrophe. He didn't have to search very long or far. The offender was standing boldly on the hood of the car behind him. And he did _not_ look happy.

Eyes widening incredulously, Vlad had to make an effort not to leave his mouth hanging wide open in astonishment. This wasn't good news at all. Of course, Vlad was happy to see that his favorite little chess piece was back to play, but not in this way. Nothing but trouble could come of this.

Promptly closing his mouth and composing himself the best he could, Vlad forced a smirk to his face. It took him a few seconds to gather the right words before he said with a sneer, "For someone who is supposed to be stuck in another dimension, you look positively in good shape, Daniel."

-Danny-

Having to teach Toushiro how to ride a horse: a few crackups and a lot of swearing in dual languages.

Finding and moving large rocks into the road: an hour of grunting and sweating like crazy cavemen.

Setting up a jungle full of booby traps: two long, hard hours of dangerous work.

Getting to see the look of pure worry and astonishment on Vlad's face: priceless.

Vlad put on a good show to come across as nonplussed and calm, but I'd already seen his true expression before he had slapped on his mask. There was no fooling me this time. The man was surprised and not very pleased to see me. I was going to throw a wrench into his well-tuned machine, and we both knew this.

"I've just spent a month in another dimension because of you," I growled at the man. As much venom as I could muster was put into my tone and voice, and my dirty glare could have killed him if it was humanly possible. Not a hard look to fake when faced with a completely fruity monster like Vlad Plasmius.

On the inside, I wasn't actually that mad or angry. Sure, I was pissed off at Vlad for a number of reasons, but I couldn't let my emotions get the better of me. But if Vlad believed I was seconds away from flying off the handle, now that's what mattered. Besides, Vlad would get what was coming to him. I had a few tricks up my sleeves. All I had to do was wait patiently.

"A _month_?" Vlad said skeptically. As if he was a chiding parent, he told me condescendingly, "It's been less than a day since you and Taj vanished. Don't over exaggerate, dear boy. It's unbecoming and childish." As a last minute piece of goading material, Vlad flashed me that infuriating smirk he knew I hated.

"I'm sick of you thinking and pretending you've got all this put together," I said with a cruel curl of my lip. "Let's be honest, Vladdy. You didn't plan any of this. You have no clue what's going to happen next. Don't kid yourself."

"Oh, now that we're being frank," Vlad said with clear amusement, "I'll tell you that presently you're quite the stupid boy. You always do become rather dimwitted when you let your anger control you. Despite all your resourcefulness earlier, I'm afraid this plan of icing the cars over and coming out all by yourself into plain sight is quite daft. Did you really think a little bit of rocks on the road and some ice powers were going to defeat me and rescue your miserable little friend? Please, boy, don't make it so easy for me."

"Boy, does your pride ever deflate?" I said with a shake of my head. "How do you get through doorways with it swelled up like that? Must be pretty difficult. I'd usually feel pity, but, hey, I'm pretty pissed at you right now."

My scathing sarcasm cut through all of Vlad's barriers, hitting him at just the right spot to set off a detonation of anger. _Real_ anger. As predicted, Vlad acted on his emotions and threw a hot ball of ectoplasm at me as punishment. Having seen the move coming a mile away, I shifted into a steady stance on top the truck roof and readily activated my ice powers.

Eyes glowing a brilliant icy blue, I formed a bowl of ice in front of my two outstretched palms. Vlad's ectoplasm ball hit the bowl head-on, and I quickly poured out my ice powers to encase the hot ball in ice until it cooled over and died completely. Breathing evenly to maintain control, I deactivated my power, threw the large ball of ice off to the side, and looked back up at Vlad to see his reaction.

Blinking in surprise, Vlad glanced down at the ball of ice then back at me as if he didn't think I was capable of ever blocking one of his attacks that way. For a brief moment, a level of respect and awe could be seen in his gaze. Unfortunately, that look didn't last. Soon Vlad was studying me like I was one of the greatest playthings on the planet. With a sick twist of my stomach, I could see the level of desire in his narrowed, crimson eyes. Breaking me and molding me into what he wanted would be his greatest game and achievement.

First, though, I needed to be caught.

Eyes wide with alarm, I jumped backwards and off the truck roof just as Vlad released a barrage of ectoplasm rays at me. Landing in the truck bed with a cringe, I pressed my back up against the passenger box as it was hit with Vlad's attack. Fingers nimbly going to work on my watch, I spun the combination and slammed the face in.

As soon as I felt my ice powers being fully shoved away and my flight ones released, I was up and out of there. Swiftly pushing off with my feet, I blasted high into the air just as the truck engine was destroyed with an explosion of ectoplasm. Pink tinted smoke billowed into the air. From the smolder came Plasmius, shooting directly toward me through the sky.

Gritting my teeth in determination, I switched directions in the air so that I was soaring over the canopy of trees, my elongated shadow fighting to keep up with me across the emerald tree tops. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw that Vlad was closing in on me so I accelerated with a smirk. He still hadn't caught on, had he? Could my plan actually be working?

After another glance to make sure Vlad was still following me, I descended into the jungle below. Easy part was over. Now came the true test of my abilities. Vlad followed me into the jungle, hook, line, and sinker.

Let the games begin.

A/N: Dude, I'm so excited for this next chapter! Lots of action and crap! Been planning it since the beginning, actually. Can't believe I'm finally getting to it after so many months. I may or may not update next week due to it being Christmas and I'll be busy all this week. So it's a maybe. If not, I'll see you guys in two weeks! Later!


	30. Chapter 30 The Art of Lying

A/N: Sorry again for the week delay, though I think I warned you about it. You know Christmas. It's busy. And I was sleep deprived. Stupid insomnia. But I did manage to write a lot for this chapter. I planned on making it longer...but I'm getting sick and I can't focus on writing. Blah. Anyways, enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own any Danny Phantom characters. All other characters are mine.

Previously In Incommunicado: Jumping to Taj-o-vision, we visited how Taj took the news of Danny being left behind in the future...which was quite sad. Lots of crying. Thankfully, Toushiro came and kicked Diego's butt, rescuing Taj and giving him hope that Danny was still alive. In Vlad-o-vision, we learn that Vlad's disappointed with Danny vanishing and that he has the Ball of Evil. Dun, dun, dun! Returning to Danny POV, we learn that he staged and planned Taj's rescue. The next step of his mission was to distract Vlad by flying off into the jungle. We left off with Danny descending into the jungle...

Chapter 30 The Art of Lying

Weaving dangerously through the trees, I had to use all my senses to prevent myself from smacking into one of them, but also to keep track of where Vlad was behind me. The trick was to never lose track of him. In this game, I couldn't afford to be too badly surprised or to be snuck up on by the man. He was on my turf now. I had the advantage, and to defeat Vlad I'd have to use every ounce of it.

Tree trunks flew past me at reckless speeds as I descended to the jungle floor. Vlad had intangibility to help him through the trees, so I needed to be quicker than him. Mind and body focused, dodging them was practically second nature after so many days all by myself in the future's desolate jungle. Who knew that horrible experience would be good for me?

Seconds passed in a blur of leaves, vines, and tree trunks, and suddenly there was the dirt ground. Quickly, I pulled up and landed awkwardly in a short skid before running to my right and hiding behind a thick tree. My fingers spun the watch's combination again, and soon I was switching to another ghost power. Pins and needles burst up my arm, but I ignored the sensation. I was used to it at that point.

I hadn't heard Vlad land yet. He had been right behind me, so I assumed he was just hiding close by, invisible and waiting for the perfect time to catch me off guard. Frowning, I stepped slowly and silently away from the tree and looked around as if looking for Vlad. It was just a ploy to get Vlad out in the open. Kicking his butt would be easier if I could see him.

"Going somewhere?" Vlad asked from below.

Gasping and looking down in surprise, I watched helplessly as Vlad phased through the ground underneath me, grabbed my ankle, and pulled me into the earth. My shoulders on up where the only things left when Vlad let me go and I turned solid again. Grunting and swearing under my breath, I tried to move around to loosen and free myself, but it was no use. I was tightly packed into the earth and obviously stuck. No amount of struggling was going to get me out. Like I could actually struggle. I could hardly move...or breathe, for that matter.

Vlad was laughing as he phased up through the ground in front of me. Chilling echoes of his ridiculing chuckle traveled through the jungle and made me grit my teeth in anger. Shaking his head as if I was merely a misbehaving child, Vlad looked down at me with wicked delight.

Kneeling on one knee, Vlad took my chin into his hand as he told me with happy scorn, "Boy, how many times have I told you not to let that temper of yours control you? Honestly, that was probably the easiest capture yet. All that show for nothing. I'm afraid you're losing your touch."

Shaking my head to pull my chin out of Vlad's grip, I snarled through a smile, "Now how would you know that, fruitcup? You didn't see which power I chose."

Vlad froze, doubt whisking over his frozen features as it dawned on him. He watched with a tight frown as I turned intangible and sunk with a friendly farewell wave into the earth. Not a moment later, I burst out of the ground from the man's left, turned tangible, and nailed Vlad with a punch to the side of his face.

With a shout of pain and surprise, Vlad staggered to the side, holding the side of his tender head. Releasing a loud battle yell, I spun on my heel in a roundhouse kick aimed for the same spot on Vlad's head. Vlad saw the move coming and stuck a hand out to stop my attack, but I easily phased through his block, turned tangible again, and violently connected my heel with Vlad's cranium.

The hurtful gesture was the last straw for Vlad. As he blundered into a tree, he threw an ectoplasm ray at me with a vicious battle growl. The hit caught me in the shoulder, spinning me off balance and to the ground.

Thoughts about the pain had to wait. I couldn't get caught or pinned down by Vlad. Not this early, at least. As soon as I could, I was forcing myself to my feet and running away. Vlad was seconds behind me.

Careening around a tree, I picked up my pace and my game as I smoothly sprinted across the rough jungle floor. Seriously, I was like Tarzan or something after my time in the future. Whether it be dead tree trunk, tricky roots, or boulder patches, my feet and pace were steady. Wearing nothing but a confident smirk on my face, I tackled the obstacles without a problem.

Vlad, on the other hand, had a difficult time following me at first. With shouts and swears, he constantly kept tripping over loose roots and vines and finding himself the unfortunate ruiner of intricate yet nearly invisible spider homes. Finally, he decided to fly himself and turn intangible to catch up with me. By that time, though, I was nearing my destination.

Out of nowhere, Vlad suddenly flew into me from my right side. The unexpected move knocked the breath out of my lungs and rammed me off corse. I had to have been airborne for a few seconds before crashing harshly onto the ground and rolling uncontrollably into a tree. Winded, dizzy beyond belief, and my side flaring up in sharp pain, I moaned as I struggled to my unsteady feet.

"Gah!" I cried out, wrapping a hand around my hurt side. One or more of my ribs had to be broken. Not good. Not good at all. Oh, and where was I? I was too dizzy to remember exactly. Disaster was in the air, and it was probably out to kill me.

Not a single step had been taken before Vlad appeared out from my right and blasted me with another well aimed ectoplasm ray. My feet were still in the air when I landed heavily on my back a few yards away. Wincing, I rolled onto my good side and spun the watch combination. Just as Vlad was on me, I pressed in the face and created a green ecto shield around my fallen body.

On the outside of my shield, Vlad gave an aggravated shout and slammed a fist down on the glowing surface. He was probably tired of my evasive strategy. I understood his frustration, but I wasn't about to let down my shield. I needed an extra minute to get my head together.

Man, my side hurt like hell. It would be easier if I wasn't so human. Couldn't focus on that, though. Pain had to be pushed away, shoved into the corners of my head. I could do this as a human. I wasn't powerless.

Running a shaky hand through my hair and releasing a nervous breath, I forced myself to assess the situation. My eyes swept the forest for a sense of direction. I didn't have too far to go to reach my goal. Question was: could I make it?

Suddenly, my shield shattered under Vlad's pounding strength. He went straight for my shirt collar, gripping a handful of it as he yanked me upward and thrust my back into the nearest tree. It was scary how trivially and fast he could move me around. As a human, I was nothing. My weight was equivalent to a doll or even lighter. In a moment's notice, he could snap me in half and kill me.

"Enough of your silly games, Danny," Vlad growled into my face. "You're becoming a great inconvenience, and it stops now. Understa-! No!"

I hadn't been listening to him. My watch had become more interesting than his old threats, so I had taken the liberty to get myself a new power as he blabbed away. In the end, I wasn't fast enough. With his free hand, Vlad latched onto my arm with the watch and pried it away from my other hand, all the while grinding my back painfully into the tree he was pinning me up against.

"How you've made yourself into such a ridiculous nuisance, boy, I don't have the faintest notion," Vlad said when he finally managed to subdue me. "I swear, I'm going to fix this watch when we get back to the house. You're not much of a threat without it."

Since both of Vlad's hands were busy keeping me restrained, I was able to reach behind my back and grip my trump card I kept hidden there without him stopping me. As I pulled out the loaded pistol and aimed it at his feet, an insolent smirk made its way to my lips.

"Wanna bet, V-man?" I sneered.

_BAM!_

Vlad let me go so quickly, I didn't have time to land on my feet. Butt hitting the ground, I watched in amusement and horrified wonder as Vlad bent over, cringing in pain and vehemently hissing swears of outrage under his breath. Bubbles of green ghost blood oozed out of the bullet wound in the man's foot where I had shot him. Blinking dumbly, I glanced at the pistol still in my hand.

I had done it. Couldn't believe it. I had just shot Vlad Plasmius.

Wait.

I had just _shot_ Vlad Plasmius! I was officially dead.

"You're going to regret pulling the trigger, boy!" Vlad seethed. My pain and suffering: that's all that I could see in his eyes. Not something that brings my crazy thumping heart joy, I'll tell you that. Not at all.

"Crap!" I whispered in fear. "Oh, crap!"

Eyes wide with anxiety and a bit of excitement, I scrambled to my feet and sprinted away. This time I didn't have to worry if Vlad would follow me or not. He would. He would follow me, catch me, and then skin me alive! Oh, why had I shot him? Was I really that stupid?

While I ran and dodged all of Vlad's thrown ectoplasm shots, I somehow kept a level head. Though I was as good as dead, I still had a wild chance of survival if I kept playing the surprise-I'm-actually-a-kick-ass-planner! card on Vlad. It had been working pretty good so far. Just had to keep it up...and not get killed. Let's not forget that small detail.

Still running for my life from a rage monster/ghost/thing named Vlad Plasmius, I brought my watch up and switched powers again. In mid-stride, I turned invisible to buy myself time.

An explosion of ectoplasm from behind blasted me forward and down a steep embankment. I gave a sharp yelp before tumbling downward. Thankfully, a large pit of soft, pasty mud caught my fall below, but that was also the bad part. I was covered in mud. Invisibility was once again useless, and Vlad was seconds behind me. No time to run. No time to switch powers.

Panic dared to tighten my stomach, but, like the pain now shooting up and down my side, I pushed it away. This was my time to shine. To do that, I had to use my head, to use my arsenal of skills to win against Vlad. If I lost, it could not be like this. There was no way I was going to lose this stupid game while sitting in a stinking mud pit, covered with sludge. Think! I just needed to think!

Quickly, I rolled onto my stomach and wiggled myself deeper into the mud pit. Just as Vlad was flying over and looking for me, I took a deep breath and submerged my head under the mud and remained completely still.

This was crazy. _I_ was crazy! I thought for sure Vlad would see right through my trick and blast me away at any second. But my quick thinking worked. Sort of. Vlad didn't initially see me, and that's all that I needed.

When I was out of air, I slowly took my head out of the mud and peeked around the jungle. Luckily, Vlad was glaring off to his side and away from me. He was dangerously close to where I laid, about two yards away.

I had only seconds to act. Delay would get me killed. Rising swiftly to my feet, I gathered a handful of mud and flung it like a snowball at Vlad. The ball of sludge splattered against the side of Vlad's turning face. I really hope that was humiliating for the cheesehead.

Without hesitation, I was out of there. Covered from head to toe in oozing mud, I felt like some B horror movie monster tramping through the jungle, ready to terrorize an innocent hiking couple in my rampage. I had mud in my hair, up my nose, in my mouth, down my pants, and squelching in my shoes. Ug, it was awful, but I plowed ahead.

At long last, I made it to my destination. A small, dim clearing greeted me as if with open arms. I felt like it was the tape at the finish line of a long, tiring race. But by run I wasn't over. My plans for Vlad were just starting.

Skidding on my knees to a stop by a cluster of rocks in the clearing, I hastily threw some leaves aside from a spot on the ground between them. My hands were shaking from the stress as I pocketed one small device I'd gotten from Vlad's room and snatched up another one of my dad's ghost gadgets the man had stolen: the Specter Reflector Belt. Just as I was spinning around, Vlad had caught up with me.

"What are you doing, Daniel?" Vlad asked skeptically.

Shoot. He knew. Vlad had finally caught on to my game of chase.

"By now you should know what I'm doing, Vlad," I panted back at the man, hiding the device behind my back. "Or are you 'losing your touch'?"

Vlad didn't look as calm and polished as he usually did. Mud and twigs were mixed into his hair. His foot had stopped bleeding, but he still avoided putting his weight on it. Stains and rips covered his uniform. But one thing remained the same: a cold cunningness was in his narrowed crimson glare.

"You lured me away from the road for a reason," Vlad said with a short, frustrated snort. He was still furious, but he was controlling it better now.

"Took you this long to realize that?" I scoffed. "And here I thought you were smart."

"What's that behind your back?" he asked, ignoring my cheekiness.

"Come closer," I teased. "I'll show you."

"Oh, please," Vlad said, rolling his eyes and smiling cruelly. "Do you really believe you can fool me? Come on, Daniel. Let's stop this childish game of chase. You can't keep running, and you're out of cute, little surprises. Unless you have one of your mom's bazookas there behind your back now (which I seriously doubt) your adorable game ends now. Be honest with yourself. You're going to lose. It's that simple."

Nodding, I smiled mirthlessly and said, "That it, Vladdy? You think sharing some truthful words will make me come compliantly? That's always what you like to do. You like to sound all high and mighty and super smart. The superior intellect! That's what you like, right? Your knowledge is how you do your job so well. Don't deny it, V-man."

Vlad regarded me stoically, but a certain seriousness and somberness came across his features. I could almost see it as he observed me and took my tone, words, implied meaning, and even my posture into account and started putting pieces of a greater puzzle together in his head. This man was dangerously smart.

"What are you talking about?" Vlad asked me slowly. He knew, but he just wanted to hear it from me.

"You twist things with your knowledge," I answered. "Not only words, but ideas...people. They're your favorite, aren't they?"

"Explain."

"You like to know things; understand them. You like to open a person up and see what makes them tick. But you're not finished after you figure them out. No. What you like to do is destroy them, manipulate them, morph them into what you want...just because you can."

Vlad and I stared at each other for a long time before a smile popped onto Vlad's face. The warm expression didn't match the excited malice in his eyes that watched me as if I was some magnificent specimen underneath a microscope. Putting his hands on his hips, Vlad gave a heartless chuckle and shook his head as if I was student of his that just wasn't getting it.

"You missed one important detail to your logic, Danny," Vlad told me kindly.

"Yeah? And what is that?"

"You."

"Me? What about me?"

"Well, no matter how hard I try, I haven't succeeded in changing you yet, now have I?" Vlad addressed me as if I was in kindergarden.

"No. No, you haven't," I said unenthusiastically. I didn't exactly know where this going, and so I automatically didn't like it.

"Now, you said I liked changing people because I _could_," Vlad discussed casually as he walked to his right. I matched his pace, taking steps to my right so that we now circled each other. "But that's only partially true. For any normal human, I can twist them with the snap of my fingers. It's that simple, and I do it precisely because it's so wonderfully effortless. But in some rare cases, I find a truly splendid character; someone who cannot be so easily broken. They take time and thought and planning and true devotion. To fully mold them, well, it's an art, you see."

"An art," I said quietly, stomach clenching in disgust.

"That's right!" Vlad said earnestly. "Oh, don't give me that look of revulsion, Daniel. You must understand that this art is quite common among the perceptive, passionate, and astute. Others may not realize what they do, but I know how people work. Even you do what I do."

"No," I said firmly, shaking my head in denial. "No, I don't. Not like you."

Vlad laughed boldly at my aversion to his craft. "Honestly, Daniel, you can be such a hypocrite," he told me. "You're so quick to point fingers at others when they do 'wrong'. But whenever someone draws attention to your own flaws, you're very swift to utterly deny them.

"It's true. You do try to change people. Just the other night, when you were practically begging me to take you home and leave Taj alone, you were trying to manipulate me. Furthermore, it was partly because of your own dumb hope of you somehow changing me for the better that got you into this mess. It made you trust me just enough, right? You so badly wanted me to be _good_ and _humane_ that you were nearly in tears. That's what you ultimately want from me, I'm sure. You want me to change. That's why you could never kill me, you see. You still have hope that there's something good in me and that you someday might be able to influence me out of all my wanton ways."

"No...no, that's different," I whispered.

"How is you changing me for _'good'_ better or different than me changing you into someone who's stronger and smarter?" Vlad shouted the question, demanding for an answer. Standing back with a triumphant grin, he waited for my usual reaction of defeat, confusion, or hesitation.

Emotion tightened my chest, clenched my twisted stomach, and burned through my cheeks. He was doing it again. He always did this! He always twisted and warped my thinking and morals around until I had no other answer and became so unsure of myself. I was sick of it.

No! This couldn't happen anymore! Who cared if I was right or wrong? I was going to tell that deranged fruitloop exactly what was on my mind.

"Damn it, Vlad!" I screamed ardently back at him. "It's different because I don't try to forcibly change you and your beliefs by kidnapping you, torturing you, hurting you, threatening you and the ones you love, and almost killing you numerous times! Don't you see? In this case, it's not the stupid principle of the matter. It's the method! And your method sucks! You got that? It's sick! It's just plain _wrong_!"

An intense silence reined through the jungle clearing.

Vlad and I stared at each other: Vlad observing me with humble yet newfound interest; me panting from the aftereffect of the rush and release of so much emotion. Finally, I heaved a heavy sigh to mask the sound of my watch face being pressed in behind my back. My outburst hadn't been planned. Still, it felt good. Standing up to Vlad that way was frightening beyond belief, but I had done it. And I think I did a decent job.

I was at the point in my life where I wasn't going to let Vlad push me around anymore. Not physically, and not mentally. Although he viewed me like a chess pawn or fascinating growth of bacteria in a petri dish, for the first time ever, I didn't feel that way. I was confident with myself enough to not care about how Vlad saw me.

Vlad opened his mouth to say something, but I swiftly cut him off. "Save it, V-man," I told him with a resigned sigh. "I'm done. You want to go ahead and teach me a lesson, then fight me. You got a clear enough shot. Till then, it's in one ear and out the other. What can I say? I'm your average stubborn teenager."

"Oh, that's very obvious," Vlad muttered irritably, but he didn't attack right away. He still didn't know what was behind my back or what any of my plans for him were. Wisely, he remained wary of the overall mystery and of the surprises I had in store for him. It was that wisdom that was going to be his downfall today, though.

"Another stab at my age, I see," I pointed out with my rebellious cocky grin I knew Vlad hated. "Not much for originality. I think we already had that age conversation before. Don't tell me you're repeating your material already, Vladdy."

"Are you trying to make me angry?" Vlad asked me with a puzzled smile.

"Is it working?" I asked hopefully.

"No," he simply lied. "Why are you going through so much trouble to push all my buttons? Do you want me to attack you? Run into a trap? Or are you still stalling? But who would you be stalling for?"

"Myself, maybe?" I suggested, shrugging.

"Clever, but no. You're running this show. You know exactly what you're doing, Danny. Even now, I can see it in your eyes. I'm in the middle of one your harebrained schemes, and you're loving it. Aren't you?"

"You kidding me?" I laughed nervously. "I'm terrified." It was true. Sure, all my plans looked like they were coming together, but there was still that slim chance that they wouldn't. I knew the consequences for if I failed, and they scared the crap out of me.

"But why would you want to draw me away from the cars?" Vlad thought aloud, trying to pull my secrets either out of my mouth or logically out of his mind. "Too many people, perhaps?"

We were still circling each other. The merry-go-round motion with the mad yet powerful man made my senses heighten and my muscles tighten with the intensity. At any second Vlad could put the puzzle pieces together and attack, so I needed to be ready to move. Time was slipping through my fingers. Where were they?

With his usual perception, Vlad noticed my stress, but he didn't know why it was accumulating so quickly. "You were telling the truth. You really are nervous," he chuckled, straining to read my body language. "What is it that you're hiding behind your back? Or do you have anything there at all? Is it just a ploy to stall me from attacking?"

"Frustrating, isn't it?" I said demeaningly. "Not knowing what I'm planning?"

"Hmm. This must be how you feel all the time."

"How 'bout you just attack me already? Stop being so ridiculously indecisive, Vlad. What could I possibly be stalling you for?"

"Oh, ho! You've turned into one little manipulator, haven't you?"

"Learned it from the best."

"I'll take that as a compliment, boy."

"It's a good thing I didn't learn my intelligence from you, then."

Vlad finally let out a laugh, shaking his head as if in disbelief. "You're crazy, Daniel," he told me matter-of-factly. "You're taking an enormous risk. Even right now, you have one foot in success and the other in complete and utter failure."

Eyes narrowed in determination, I strained to put a competitive grin on my lips as big, thick gobs of sweat rolled down my mud-caked face out of pure anxiety. I couldn't stall forever. We both knew it. At any second my plan could come crumbling down. The only thing keeping me free and alive was Vlad's paranoia.

A/N: Woo! Though I wanted the chapter longer, I think I still managed to make it satisfying yet cliffhanger enough now that I reread it through. I'm gonna try to get the next chapter out next weekend. Though it might be shorter, I'm gonna make an effort to update it. Because, while I love this fan fic and adore writing it, I need time to move onto other writing projects. Like for poor ol' Danny, time is not on my side. I'll see you guys next weekend! Thanks for reading!


	31. Chapter 31 Outbursts, Pep Talks, and

A/N: Yeah, this is kinda filler-ish chapter. Really, it's here to gear everyone up for the finale fight scene, but it's still a fun chapter. Well, I liked it, anyways. Somehow, a lot gets said and done. Not much to say but thanks for all your reviews and enjoy!

Disclaimer: All Danny Phantom characters are not mine. All others belong solely to me.

Previously In Incommunicado: With his plans actually going the way he wanted them, Danny lured Vlad away from the cars and Taj by flying off into the jungle to distract him. While there, Danny actually gathered enough guts to shoot Vlad in the foot, but not before Vlad cracked a few of his ribs. We left our hero in a clearing with Vlad, a secret gadget in his pocket, the Specter Reflector hidden behind his back, and the game of distracting quickly ending.

Chapter 31 Outbursts, Pep Talks, and Reunions

Covered in putrid mud, sweating like a pig, and grimacing through the shooting hot pain radiating up my side, I forced myself to continue circling around the small clearing. Keeping Vlad in my sights the entire time, I had to be prepared to move fast. Vlad was still contemplating whether to attack me or not. It wouldn't be long now; either I would fail miserably, or I was going to get the chance to kick Vlad's evil butt. The suspense was the worst part.

Everything happened in all the matter of a few scary seconds. An expertly thrown knife flew out from the jungle and struck Vlad in the shoulder. At that second, Vlad realized what was going on, but it was too late for him to attack. As the man winced in pain from the surprise attack, I ran into action. Literally. Like the crazy kid I was, I sprinted straight for Vlad. The man couldn't do anything fast enough to stop me, but he didn't have to. Instead of attacking him, I opted for phasing right through him, stealing Taj's red sphere from the man's pocket along the way.

Shoving the ball into my back pocket, I grabbed the Specter Reflector with both hands and brought it up to Vlad's waist as he was spinning around. He was quick, but I had good, ol' surprise on my side. Although I had to duck Vlad's swipe for my head, I managed to click the belt into place around his waist.

That's when my luck ran out. Wised up to my ways, Vlad blasted me away with a swift ectoplasm ray to my chest. My body was flung backwards a few yards before harshly slamming into a tree. Head spinning and side aching more than ever, I fell to my hands and knees before slumping forward and collapsing to my stomach on the ground.

Vlad growled in aggravation as he yanked the knife lodged in his shoulder out and flung it away. With a snap of his head, Vlad pinned his stare on me, eyes filled with rage and seething humiliation. He took a step toward me - fully ready to dismember me or something just as gruesome - but he stopped short with a yelp while jumping backwards and out of the way of an oncoming horse.

Perro stormed into the clearing as if he alone was the cavalry. Toushiro was hanging on for dear life in the horse's saddle, looking like he was unwillingly along for the wild ride. The man was clearly uncomfortable in the saddle with his tight, silently-scared frown, but he endured as he and Perro rode past Vlad.

As they passed the man, Toushiro brought out another knife and flung it in Vlad's direction. This time Vlad was quick enough to turn intangible to avoid another knife wound. That's when the Specter Reflector did its job. With a spark, it shot Vlad with a few volts of electricity, as if punishing him for using his powers. Vlad let out a short yell and loathsomely glanced down at the belt.

By that time, I was on my feet and reaching for Vlad's gadget inside my front pocket as I stumbled forward. Vlad saw me coming, but he also had to keep a close eye on Perro and Toushiro who were turning around and coming for him a second time. Making a split decision, he crouched down to become a smaller target for Toushiro and flung an ectoplasm ray at me. Although he met his target, he was too late.

With a flick of my wrist, I threw the blue cube at Vlad just before his ecto ray caught me in the shin and forced me into a face plant. Though the up-close and personal view of the jungle floor wasn't a pleasant experience, the mouth-full of dirt was worth it as an explosion of light hit Vlad and captured him in one of his own inventions.

Groggily lifting my head, I could make out Vlad's form angrily punching the blue barrier of the cube prison he was trapped in before standing back and sighing in defeat. Vlad was smart and civil enough to understand he was beat. Sure, he hated it, but he knew he'd just been severely outsmarted.

"Cut it a bit close, didn't you, kid?" Toushiro asked me with a wry smile as he pulled up on Perro's reins. He awkwardly got out of the saddle and offered a hand to help me to my feet. Grinning inanely, I gratefully took his hand and let him haul me upward as Perro sniffed me up and down as if I had a treat for him stashed under my shirt.

"Ah! Ouch!" I hissed half way to my feet as another shot of pain spiked up my side. Wincing, I fell back to my knees to try and recoup. Man, my side was in agony!

"Danny! You hurt? Where do you hurt?" Toushiro asked with concern, kneeling beside me. "Don't try to get up."

"You're lucky you got away with just a cracked rib or two," Vlad growled from his cube prison.

Looking up, I saw that Vlad had switched back to his human form. Leaning against one of the blue transparent walls with his hands crossed nonchalantly across his chest, Vlad watched with me with subtle and deceptive scheming. Seeing that he had captured my attention, the cunning man flashed me a sinister smile. Some expressions just get under your skin; his did just that. It was as if his current situation was nothing more than a coffee break. Maybe he was just trying to weaken my confidence and make me doubtful, but I just couldn't help the feeling that this skirmish was just a minor setback for Vlad.

"Well, at least I'm not the one trapped in a box," I sneered back as I struggled to my feet despite Toushiro's command.

"It won't hold me for very long," Vlad told me. Tapping one of the walls with a knuckle, he said assuredly, "You must remember that it was I who invented the device for Skulker. I hope you fixed that fact into your plans, Daniel."

"Hey, don't talk to him, Danny," Toushiro muttered quietly down to me as he gently guided me toward Perro. "He's just going to keep messing with your head. Hasn't he done that enough already?"

Taking Toushiro's advice, I set my mind on getting into Perro's saddle without hurting myself too badly. That's when I realized I still had Taj's ball of evil in my back pocket. Didn't want to sit on that by accident. Turning toward Toushiro, I took out the sphere and gave it to him, saying softly, "Keep this for now. Remember, be careful with it."

"What do you plan on doing with that sphere you stole?" Vlad asked, unperturbed by my cold shoulder. His tone even suggested he was having fun. Once again, his favorite pawn was showing peculiar behavior. The game was finally getting interesting for Vlad, and he was excited.

Without a word or glance in Vlad's direction, I gripped the horse's saddle horn and began to haul myself up with a grimace. Cracked ribs hurt without ghost powers. I'll tell you that.

"It must be pretty important if your first move was to retrieve it rather than capture me," Vlad mused aloud. The man saw I wasn't moved by his keen observations, so he quickly switched tactics.

I was halfway up into the saddle when Vlad asked me, "Do you want to know the true reason why I want Taj, Danny?"

I paused; one foot in the stirrup, the other hovering a foot off the ground. Grinding my teeth together in frustration, I made a firm decision not to take hold of Vlad's bait. Snapping my head toward Vlad, I growled at him, "I don't have to know anymore, Vlad. Whatever your reasons and intensions, they're clearly unethical. That's all I care about at this point."

"Oh, I thought for sure I'd get you with that one," Vlad chuckled as if our conversation was a thrilling sport. "You're becoming so clever, Daniel, and you have so much control over your emotions. I'm impressed."

Grunting with disgust, I turned back around. Swiftly and out of nowhere, Vlad hit me with an underhanded and last-ditch attack. Voice dropping into a serious tone, Vlad said threateningly, "Surely by now you've thought about the consequences to your actions. Then again, you probably haven't since you're so keen on throwing yourself and others into so much danger. You know when I get out of here I'll find you and Toushiro and Taj. What do you expect I'll do with you and your friends when I find you, boy? Show mercy? You must delusional."

That was it. I'd had it. Screw keeping my temper in check. I refused to be treated like a doormat with Vlad. No more!

"Danny," Toushiro wearily warned me when he noticed I had frozen in place with anger. "Don't listen to-."

"Don't you dare," I growled at Vlad, spinning around to face him. Wearing his smug smile, Vlad calmly watched me with almost a sense of relish as I stormed over to his box prison. I was so pissed, I could hardly form words. Eventually, though, they came. And when they came, they came in a rush.

"You wanna threaten me and my friends, Vlad?" I yelled at the man through the transparent wall between us. "Yeah! Sure! Go ahead! I'd expect such a thing from you. But don't you dare tell me one _freaking more time_ to think about the consequences to my damn actions! I know them, okay?"

"Do you now?" Vlad chuckled. He thought I was being cute, and that only made me hate him more.

Breathing hard in my boiling aggravation, I squeezed my eyes shut and rubbed my forehead to help me search for the right words to say. A second later, I opened my eyes and told the man, "Yeah. I know them. I know them better than you do. Oh, yeah! What have you've ever had to risk, Vlad? Come on. Tell me! A little bit of money? A fun pawn? Some of your _pride_? Losing our stupid _game_? Please. You've never had anything to lose. You don't ever have to worry too much about consequences.

"I, on the other hand, have always had to think about consequences. Yeah. Try to mock me with that dumb smirk of yours, but deep down you know it's the truth. I always think about them. I _always_ have to think about the risks! But the point of being a moral and ethical superhero is to save people despite my own physical and even mental safety. Although it would be smarter to do nothing, no action at all would be the wrong thing to do. And, personally, I could never live with myself if I threw that all away. I don't know how you do. You must be miserable. I almost feel sorry for you.

"It's selfless," I continued breathlessly, boldly staring Vlad straight in the eye. "It's about putting others first before yourself. There's no alternative motive. You don't get it by lying and scheming and cheating. There's no gain for myself. Nothing beside the fact that I did something right. It's something you could never experience, Vlad."

Vlad for once was speechless. With narrowed, calculating eyes, he watched me and pondered what I had said as if he was scrutinizing the pieces in a formidable chess game. His jaw was tightly clenched as he forced himself not to frown too strongly. Everything about Vlad at that moment was control.

Sighing, I told the man solemnly, "In a split second, Vlad, I could be _exactly_ like you. You know that. You want it very badly. But the truth is this: you could _never_ be like me." Pointing at him, I said, "That's why you hate me so much. That's why you want to change me. Simple as that."

As soon as I was done, everything became strangely quiet. Vlad didn't offer a protest or a snide remark. Toushiro didn't butt in to back me up or suggest we leave. All Perro did was stare at me as he whisked his tail back and forth to get rid of the pesky flies buzzing around his butt. I couldn't stand another awkward and tense silence to fill the moment, so I finished lamely in a mutter, "So you can go shove it, Vlad."

Feeling oddly refreshed yet shaky with emotion, I turned around and marched back to Perro. As I passed Toushiro along the way, he could do nothing but blink in awe and with a certain admiration. He shook it off a moment later and briskly joined me beside Perro to help me into the saddle. Once properly seated, Toushiro sat behind me, took up the reins, and kicked Perro forward.

Only then did I glance behind my shoulder at Vlad. A sick chill slithered down my spine as our eyes met. My words had done nothing to change Vlad's mind. I was still that challenging toy he wanted to mess with and change. The wolfish smile on his face told me everything. There would be nothing I could say or do to change his mind. I couldn't help but feel pretty useless...especially after making a fool of myself by blowing up and making that stupid speech.

Why did I ever believe that talking it out and explaining myself to Vlad would ever change him? Maybe Vlad was right. Maybe I did want to change him too much. But why? After all that had happened these past few days, I of all people should have known nothing was going to change Vlad's mind. Why was I till stupidly hanging onto the hope I could, then? Maybe I was like Vlad. Maybe I couldn't stand having someone so evil in my life that I thought I needed to get rid of it. That thought alone scared me to death. Somehow, I needed to just...let it go.

Toushiro steered Perro back where he had come from as quickly as possible, but at a certain point he slowed the horse down to an easy walk so we could talk. Confused, I looked up over my shoulder, asking, "What's wrong?"

"I'm worried about you," Toushiro admitted with a grim, fleeting smile. "You just chewed out Vlad Masters. Gave the man a real piece of your mind, the way I saw it. If anything, your bravery to finally stand up to him will make him want you even more."

"I know. Don't remind me," I mumbled quietly, trying hard not to shake in my worry. My side hurt like hell, and I felt like barfing from my stomach doing queasy, gut-wrenching flips inside my gut. What had I done? I'd only made Vlad more determined to make my life more miserable and to kick my butt harder than before. Sometimes I could be so stupid.

"Oh, sorry about that. I know. Wrong thing to say," Toushiro said with a nervous laugh. "But what I'm trying to say, here, Danny, is that you don't look too good. Are you sure you're okay? I could always take Taj for you."

"You wouldn't be able to get him there fast enough," I said after a short sigh. "Even with Perro. It's gotta be me, Toushiro. I'm seeing this mess till the very end."

"You know you don't have to. Vlad has no clue that you want to destroy that orb by using the volcano. You don't have to get Taj there. I could easily do it for you while you distract Vlad's men."

"I know. But..."

"But what?"

"But there's still that chance Vlad does find out," I said hollowly. "I have to be there if that happens. I have to be there to protect Taj. I...I promised. He's my friend, and I promised."

I just wanted the day to be over. I wanted to go back home to Amity Park, to see my friends and family again, and to sleep...if I could. Closing my eyes to steady my heavy emotions, I told myself to keep it together. I'd come this far. I wasn't going to freak out now just because I was weary of the battle. Besides, my plans were actually working! How rare and awesome was that?

"I understand you, kiddo," Toushiro said grudgingly. "I just hate seeing you push yourself so hard. It's like you carry the weight of the world on your shoulders sometimes, you know?"

Though I was frightened, worried beyond belief, wounded, covered in mud, high-strung, and tired of plotting and fighting, I couldn't help but smile a little at the note of concern in Toushiro's voice. It was nice to have someone who actually cared.

"Oh, it's not so heavy," I teased. Shrugging, I added with my old cockiness, "Besides, I have ghost strength. Holding the world up? No problem for this superhero."

Toushiro sighed in slight amusement, probably rolling his eyes at my attempt of lightening the mood. Ruffling my hair, he told me, "You're a good kid, Danny. I know I've told you that before, but I want you to know I mean it. What you said back there to Vlad...he's a fool to ignore it...but I heard you."

"I was angry," I said, trying to excuse myself. "That man makes me so pissed sometimes. It was an outburst. I...I don't know where-."

"It was how you really felt," Toushiro said, a smile in his voice. "And I agree with what you said."

"You...you do?"

"Danny, not many kids your age could have said that like you did," Toushiro told me. "Hell, not many kids these days even know what morals are! So don't feel bad about saying those things back there. If anything, feel more confident and empowered! At least you've beat Vlad at one thing, right?"

"What's that?" I asked doubtfully.

"At being the stronger person," Toushiro answered. "I don't mean physically or anything. What I mean is that you've been put through _way_ more trials than Vlad ever has. Think about it, kid. What has Vlad ever had to really truly work or fight for? Not very much. He has natural brains, charm, and a ton of money. But you? You've had to fight for a lot of things. And that's not a bad thing, just so you know. It means you've learned not to give up, to fight, and to protect. Honestly, Danny, I think not only you're a great kid, but you're a great superhero too. Got that?"

"You're really good with pep talks, aren't you?" I said with a true grin.

"I try my best."

"Well, it shows," I said. "And...thanks...for everything."

"No problem, kiddo."

"And I want your autograph."

"Wait...what?"

"Oh, nothing!" I said quickly, smiling to myself. "Are we there yet? Taj has probably died already with worry."

"Um...yeah. We're pretty close, I think," Toushiro said, swiftly recovering from his confusion.

A minute or two later, and we arrived at another small clearing with some boulders stacked up on one side. Sitting there nervously was Taj. Standing beside him was the second horse Toushiro and I had stolen the other night. She raised her head when she heard us coming through the jungle. Taj froze from his anxious twitching, holding his breath as he strained to see us through the thick foliage.

Before Perro had even stopped, I was hopping off the saddle with a crazy grin. "Taj!" I shouted with excitement as I practically fell off Perro, Toushiro chiding me the entire time that I was going to hurt myself even more. Easily ignoring the man, rushed toward the clearing on foot. It had been way too long since I'd seen Taj.

"Danny!" Taj breathed in surprise when he heard my voice. He bolted off the rocks he was sitting on, a hopeful smile spilling over his features.

Seeing me burst into the clearing, Taj hesitated when he saw my muddy form, giving a little squeak of alarm. His drastic reaction made me pause too and look myself over. Laughing, I realized that I looked like a poorly designed mud monster. I probably scared poor Taj to death. Also, nobody wants to hug a mud monster.

"This better for you, dude?" I asked Taj while going intangible. With a sucking kind of splat, the mud fell through me and collected on the floor.

Blinking in bewilderment, Taj looked me up and down before finally deciding I was the real thing. Without another word, he rushed forward and wrapped his arms around my neck. Smiling in relief, I tightly hugged him back. Those three weeks in the future had been hard without Taj by my side. Jeez, I missed him!

"I know you hate it when I say it, but I'm sorry, Danny!" Taj said, voice straining with emotion. I wouldn't have been surprised if he started to cry, the little crybaby. "I didn't mean to," he continued while still hugging me. "I'm so, so, so sorry!"

"Just because I haven't seen you in forever, I'll let you get away with that one," I said with a chuckle. Backing away but still keeping my hands on Taj's shoulders, I told my friend, "I've missed you, man. You okay?"

"I've missed you too, Danny. I'm...I'm still a bit in denial, to be completely honest," Taj answered with a distant shake of his head. "How did you get back? How long were you stuck there? I'm really sorry for leaving you behind."

"It wasn't your fault, dude," I assured Taj. "I was only there for a few weeks. But I found a Gateway back where the ranch was. That's how I rescued Toushiro." I reached a hand out toward Toushiro and motioned him to give me the orb. As he placed the red sphere into my palm, I told Taj with a sly smile, "And with his help, I got you this horrible piece of decoration." Everything finally explained, I plopped the orb into Taj's hands and stood back with pride.

Taj was stunned beyond words. Eyebrows furrowed together, mouth opened in a frozen expression of astonishment, and teary eyes wide with exhilaration, Taj examined the crimson orb while his brain tried to reboot and put all the current events together. Finally, he let out a rare laugh. Looking up at me, Taj said with an addicting smile, "You're unbelievable, Danny."

"Good! That's what I was going for," I said, laughing too. Hard to believe I was feeling so depressed only a few minutes before.

"I hate to be the bearer of bad news, boys," Toushiro butted in. Tapping his watch, he told us, "But I have some of Vlad's men to distract, and you two have an evil orb to throw in a volcano. We should get going, don't you think?"

A/N: Dude, action finale next chapter! Woo! Can't believe I'm actually at the end. Kinda. While there's the action finale, there's still the wrap-up chapter after it. I'm gonna try very hard to get the finale done in one week, but there's a chance I won't. Mmmm! I'm so excited to write it! Hopefully, I'll see you guys next weekend!


	32. Chapter 32 Volcano Falls

A/N: Yeah, I know this is a week late. But, as you can see from the tiny, little scroll bar, this chapter is pretty long. 21 pages in Pages, to be exact. Fun stuff! Lots of actions and drama going on in this chapter, so I had fun writing it. Hope you guys have just as much fun reading!

Also, I need to do a little test with you guys. For the last few times I've updated, my hit count has been staying zero. And this last time it did that and I only got like 4 reviews. Usually I wouldn't care much, but my average count for this fic is like 9 or 10 per chapter. So if I haven't responded to your reviews in a long, long time, it might be because the site is losing your reviews. I'm not sure, so if you haven't heard a response from me, please tell me somehow so I can know if my account is working properly or not. Thanks!

With that said, enjoy the chapter and please review!

Disclaimer: Do I have to say anything?

Previously In Incommunicado: With Perro's and Toushiro's help, Danny gets the orb back and traps Vlad in his own invention, but not before locking the Specter Reflector on the man. Because of Toushiro's pep talk, Danny feels more confident with himself and what he stands for. Taj and Danny finally met up again, and now they're free to frolic over to the volcano like Frodo and Sam to throw the orb into the lava.

Chapter 32 Volcano Falls

With a terrified Taj in my arms, I drifted peacefully in and out of the perfectly fluffy clouds. The nearest active volcano was miles away from where the last jungle clearing we were in, so I had to go higher over the jungle to cover more distance faster. Taj didn't like this higher altitude idea and showed it by gripping me so hard I started to lose circulation in my hands. Must suck to be afraid of heights. Poor kid.

Though the day was on its way to being one of the prettiest and breathtaking there in Ecuador, I didn't spend my time admiring the view. No. My eyes were sharp and on the lookout for Vlad. He could be anywhere. Sure, I hoped he stayed in his little prison box until the end of time, but I expected it wouldn't contain him for long. And of course I hoped Vlad wouldn't guess where we wanted to get rid of the orb, but I wasn't clinging to that hope very desperately either.

Vlad already knew our goal was to do something with the orb; either protect it or destroy it. He knew it was important to us. When he would finally manage to get out of his prison and find his hired men, they'd have to tell him the bad news of losing Taj. After that, Vlad would surely put the pieces together and come looking for us. I could only hope he'd be too late.

Still, I knew Vlad was a brilliant man. He'd put it together. He'd find us. Though I made it sound like the lot of us had plenty of hope for a simple, happy ending for Toushiro's sake, the truth was that getting out of Ecuador was going to be the hardest thing I had ever done.

After a few minutes of flying, Ecuador's Imbabura volcano was upon us. It wasn't as tall as some of the others around it, which were so lofty that they usually accumulated white snowcaps, but Imbabura was extremely hard to get to on foot. With the help of erosion and time, a large build up of hot, burning cinder had formed around the volcano's cone, making it difficult to walk on for hikers. Imbabura was said to be inactive because it hadn't erupted for centuries, but it still was considered a threat due to its size and location for if it ever chose to just randomly rupture. At the time, I had no clue about any of this information. All I knew was that it was a volcano with lava. That's all I needed.

As we landed on the rim of the volcano's vent, I noticed how thin the air was at such a high elevation. It made breathing a kind of chore. If I was in full ghost mode, the altitude wouldn't have been a problem, but I would have to painfully remain human until I got the stupid watch off my wrist. Couldn't wait to get all my ghost powers back.

Taj took a long, steadying breath, slowly allowing himself to let me go and look down into the vent of the volcano. Grimacing against the massive heat waves and from the pain radiating from my side, I glanced into the large hole too. Way, way, _way_ below was a gradually churning and bubbling pit of red hot magma and lava. Even from our position, we could feel the intense waves of heat emitting from the fiery depths. Didn't want to know how it felt up-close, that was for sure. Not a swimming pool I wanted to fall into.

"So...do I just...drop it in?" Taj asked, stretching his hand with the orb in it out over the vent opening. His whole arm shook in either fright or excitement. Probably both.

"I don't know," I admitted. "I'm not an expert on throwing evil orbs into volcanos."

"W-what if the ball f-f-floats?" Taj asked in a squeaky panic. Jeez, this kid fought zombies in the future without flinching for over 5 years, and here he was practically crying over if his orb of ultimate evil doom and destruction would float or not in a vat of lava. Seriously? There were some things I'd never be able to understand with Taj.

"You're kidding, right?" I asked with an irritated sigh. Glancing over to me, Taj shook his head. Too worried to speak, it looked like. Seeing him like that made my frustration die down a little. "Do you want me to drop it in for you?" I offered politely with a reassuring smile.

"Um...," Taj trailed off in hard thought. Sheesh. Well, it was his orb. I'd let him do what he wanted with it. He was more of an expert on the thing than I was, so I let him ponder.

Then my ghost sense went off. Pondering time was officially over.

Swearing under my breath, I grabbed ahold of Taj's arm and positioned him behind me as my eyes searched the surrounding desolate area. From above, I spotted a barrage of ectoplasm rays shooting down at us. Quickly, I pushed off the ground to jump/fly away from the attack and yanked Taj after me. Ray after ray of ectoplasm hit the cinder and ash crevice, sending rocky debris into Taj and I.

Pelted with hot rubble, I lost concentration in flying and also my hold on Taj. With a shout of alarm, we were forcibly separated before landing haphazardly on the steep volcano terrain. I landed on my side but managed to stop my sliding by sitting on my butt and digging my sneakers into the ground.

Taj had landed on his stomach a few yards away. Choking on the putrid fumes and ashy dust swirling around us, Taj struggled to sit up as he protectively cradled the orb against his chest. He squinted through the hanging smoke cloud to find me.

Getting swiftly to my feet, I spun the combination on my watch and switched powers to something more defensive. As a shadow was forming in the smoke, I threw up a protective ectoplasm shield around Taj and I. Just in time. Second it was up, another ray shot toward us but was easily absorbed by my shield. We had breathing room for the moment, but it wouldn't last long. Not with Vlad on the scene.

Strolling up to my shield with almost a casual air, Vlad Masters flashed Taj and me a devilish smile. Putting a hand on his Specter Reflector adorned hip, Vlad said conversationally, "So my instincts were correct once again. That orb must be terribly important and filled with abundant evil power that you two simply couldn't stand to allow it to exist on earth anymore. How heroic.

"Honestly, Daniel, you can be such an obvious dolt for when it comes down to protecting the greater good of humanity against simple evil objects. My guesses towards your actions with the orb were all too easy. They weren't even guesses, really. All I had to do was wonder where someone could get rid of such an object on short notice, and eventually a volcano came to mind. Not the most creative of solutions, but I assume it works in the end."

"You want a round of applause for your _amazing_ display of deduction, Vlad?" I sneered sarcastically.

"No, as a matter of fact," Vlad said, voice becoming more serious. "That won't be necessary, boy. What I'd really want is for you to return the orb to me."

"You must be joking."

"I'm afraid not. After a bit of reasoning, I recognized the full potency of that orb. It's all of Taj's dark powers physically manifested. Of course, Taj still manages to retain his powers of teleportation, but from that scar on his face and the distinct aura which radiates from that orb, it's plain to see that Taj's dark powers are gone and now reside in the sphere. With that orb, I could unlock all that great power and use it for myself. Don't you see? Taj has become obsolete. I don't need him anymore. I need that orb."

"So this makes me more likely to give you the orb now?" I asked dubiously. "Sure. Right. Here you go, Vlad. You can have a ton of dark power at your disposal. Now that it's not residing in my friend, you're free to have it!"

"Your lovely sense of sarcasm can be quite unbecoming sometimes, Daniel," Vlad said with an exasperated sigh.

"Good."

Folding his arms across his chest, Vlad raised an eyebrow at me and pointed out, "I don't believe you're thinking this through very thoroughly, boy. You and your useless friend are trapped. You can't change powers quick enough to evade me. You don't have backup because I presume Toushiro is off distracting Diego and his men. Face it. You have nothing better to do than to hand over that orb. What other choices do you have?"

Gritting my teeth, I fruitlessly went through my very short list of options. Taj and I shared a glance. From his paleness, wide eyes of fear, and grim frown, I gathered he was just as stuck as I was. Fun. Guess it was time to improvise. Just like old times.

"If it makes you feel any better," Vlad said halfheartedly, "I could promise you two that I won't hurt either of you if you give me the orb." What a great lie. He didn't even try to sound convincing this time.

"Fine," I growled. Nudging Taj, I ordered, "Just give it to him."

"What?" Taj asked, eyebrows shooting high into his forehead in astonishment. He was aghast at such a horrible idea. "W-why would I-? Danny, wh-what do you-?"

"Come on, Taj," I said with a defeated sigh. This had to be really convincing for both of them if it was gonna work. "Isn't it obvious, dude? We got outsmarted. What else can we do besides try to get ourselves killed?"

"B-but...Danny-."

Placing a hand gently on his forearm, I looked Taj straight in the eye and told him as seriously and gravely as possible, "If we put up any more of a fight, we'll just get hurt...or...die. I-I can't do that to you, Taj. I can't put you in that much risk and danger. I couldn't bear it if you...you know. And Vlad's just gonna get the orb in the end anyways. We can always work something else out later, right? Please. Just give him the orb. Trust me."

Pain etched itself across Taj's face, twisting it with emotion. He couldn't believe I was saying this. Tears sprung to his eyes as he thought about what I said and tried coming up with a better solution. As we stared into each other's faces, I could see his mind furiously working out a plan but coming to no result. He was a lost mouse in a maze. I hated every second of it.

Keeping his orb close against his chest, Taj did one of the boldest and heroic things I had ever seen him do. He stepped away from me, shaking his head as he sniffed away his tears. "No," he said steadily. "No, Danny. You're wrong. I'm not giving up. Not like this."

Glancing to my side, I saw Vlad was studying us with a certain look of fascination and cruel curiosity, but at that second his focus was on Taj and the orb. That orb's power must have been really important to Vlad if he was willing to lose track of me for a few seconds. Exactly what I needed.

While Vlad was momentarily focused on Taj, I made my move. Without thinking twice because I'm sure I would have talked myself out of it if I did, I rushed forward a step and rammed my elbow into Vlad's exposed stomach. As Vlad was doubling over in pain and surprise, I threw a shield over us and shouted at Taj, "Go! Throw it in now!"

Taj blinked in pleasant surprise at the odd turn of events, but he didn't take his time mulling my fake betrayal over. Nodding stiffly, he turned and sprinted up toward the volcano's vent.

Seeing the orb carrier fleeing, Vlad speedily followed. All too late, he noticed my shield that was now meant to keep him in rather than out and slammed into the glowing green barrier. Growling in his aggravation, Vlad stepped back from the shield and shot me a scathing glare. No words had to be exchanged. I was in his way; therefore, I had to be removed.

Despite the Specter Reflector sparking around his waist, Vlad summoned a hand of ectoplasm power and threw it at me. As hard as I tried, I couldn't dodge the lobbed ectoplasm in such a tight space. Stumbling from the explosion beside me, I lost control of the shield. That's all Vlad needed. Second the shield was down, he blasted toward Taj. Although I knew I was going to be too late, I swiftly pushed myself back to my feet and raced after him.

Vlad saw that Taj was seconds away from chucking the orb into the volcano's vent, so he took matters into his own hands. With precise aim, he delivered a ray to Taj's feet just as he was throwing his arm back for the toss. Gasping in fear, Taj pitched forward, lost grip on the orb in mid hurl, and pinwheeled his arms to keep his balance on the vent's craggy rim.

"No!" I screamed as Taj fell forward.

As if acting as some dark savior, Vlad caught Taj by the scruff of his shirt collar. Simultaneously, he intercepted with his free hand the orb before it could fall to the ground. By the time I breathlessly caught up with the two, Vlad had Taj dangling out over the volcano's fiery opening in one hand and had the orb clutched in his other.

"Stop right where you are, Daniel," Vlad ordered sharply as I skidded to a halt beside them.

"Let him go!" I demanded, angry and distraught. Taj was seconds away from being dropped to his death, and I felt like I was the only voice of reason in this whole mess. In my panic, my brain shut down. All I wanted was to see Taj safe and sound.

"Are you sure?" Vlad asked, smiling coyly. "I'm not so sure if Taj knows how to swim in lava. Might be a bit difficult while his body is disintegrating."

"N-not the b-b-best choice of w-words, Danny," Taj gasped fearfully. With pure desperation, he clung to Vlad's hand holding his shirt as his legs dangerously dangled over a pool of boiling lava, eyes squeezed shut in terror.

Crap. Crap! What could I do? Vlad had the orb, meaning I had no means to bargain with the guy. I had no powers or weapons left except for that gun. At the time, though, I wasn't even thinking about using it with Taj so close by. Too dangerous. Something could go wrong. Something _always_ went wrong.

"No. Don't-. Don't do this. No. Just be careful with him, Vlad," I pleaded. "Please. Just...please."

"Then you do exactly as I say," Vlad said sternly. Without realizing, I nodded. "Good," he said curtly before ordering with a nod of his head, "Now, back up with your hands on your head. That's right. Just like that. Now, sit."

"Vlad-."

"I said sit down, Danny."

Without another word, I sat my butt down on the warm, uncomfortable ground and waited tensely for more orders. Vlad released a small, triumphant smile when he saw how subdued I was. For once, things were going his way, and he was pretty delighted with that fact as I stared at him pleadingly.

Grunting from the effort it took to keep himself hanging onto Vlad's outstretched arm, Taj glanced over to me with a surge of fear rushing through him. He knew how precarious his position was, yet he managed to surmount his panic long enough to stick me with a demanding stare to do something, anything. He didn't care about his own health. He wanted us to win, and that meant making sacrifices and taking chances. With that piercing glare, he demanded me to act.

"After all that effort and hard work, Daniel, and you lose simply because your friend's life is in danger," Vlad observed aloud with a chuckle. "And who was it that just gave me some long, dramatic speech about thinking about the consequences? Didn't you see this one coming? This is too ironic."

"Come on, Vlad. Stop playing with me and put him down," I said shakily.

"I'm sorry, Danny, but you're not in control anymore," Vlad said. The man thought he was smelling his win. As if in celebration, he was going to spend the time to relish my defeat and rub it in my face. "You don't call the shots," he told me with a devious smile. "I do."

As I shifted anxiously, he warned, "Don't you move a muscle, boy, or you never know. My fingers might just...slip." As he said those words, he let his grip on Taj loosen. With a yelp, Taj dropped a few inches.

As if to take in Taj's frightening experience, Vlad turned his eyes to the teen for the briefest of seconds. There was my chance. I hesitated, thinking about all the things that could go wrong: misfiring, horrible aim, not getting to Taj fast enough, Vlad hitting me before I could save Taj. The list goes on and on.

But it was now or never.

At that very moment, I realized it was time for me to let go. Of all my fear for doing something wrong as a superhero, all my concern for Taj's life, and all my anger and hatred towards Vlad. These emotions and all the scheming and plotting was mugging me down and making me hesitate and regret everything I said or did. But I'd already chose my course of action. I'd accepted the consequences and done what I personally thought was right. I couldn't take anything back, so why was I eating myself up about something I couldn't change?

All my guilt and uncertainty; I just needed to let them go and do what needed to be done to save Taj and destroy that orb. No more talking my talk. It was time to start walking. I needed to stop worrying about _everything_ and do my job as a superhero despite what tragedy may happen.

For the first time ever, I knew I was finally confident enough in myself and my abilities to know I'd be okay no matter what happened that day. Win or lose, I'd be okay. Yeah, losing would hurt me deeply and I'd never forget it, but I'd keep fighting. My world wouldn't come to and end. I'd move on.

Knowing that gave me the strength to grab ahold of my chance and never let go.

Without getting up, I whipped my hands away from my head and reached behind my back, bringing out my pistol. Vlad's head turned toward me, his face lightly showing his unease. Both his hands were occupied. He couldn't defend himself even if he thought he needed to. Before he could open his mouth to mock, warn, or chide me, I aimed and pulled the trigger. No hesitation.

_BAM!_

"_Danny!"_

Returning the gun to my pant's waistband and hurriedly scrambling to my feet, I twisted the watch face to another power setting as I watched Taj's body plummet into the volcano's vent. I was still working the watch when I dove in after the screaming Taj. Scorching wind blasted into my face and stung my narrowed eyes as I plunged headfirst into danger. Taj's terrified face was illuminated by the red, swirling lava below. We free fell for a second or two, Taj perilously reaching up to grab my outstretched hands.

Then the power activated with a wave of pinpricks up my arm. With a few yards to spare before we splashed into lava, I made the extra effort to snatch Taj's wrists, angle myself upward, and blast us out of the volcano. Shooting out of the vent, I rose high into the cold air to catch my breath after such an intense scene. Greedily gulping for air, I wondered what the hell I had just done.

Taj still hyperventilating from his near death experience, I gently lowered him to the ground on the other side of the volcano opening where I'd left Vlad. Soon as his feet touched solid earth, Taj crumbled to his hands and knees. "Mmm. Thank-thank you, Danny!" Taj murmured, sounding nauseous. In between some dry heaves, he croaked out, "Thank you...s-s-so much!"

"Stay here. I'm going back for the orb," I told Taj gravely.

Taj knew he couldn't argue with me. I don't think he wanted to. He simply looked up, stared at me for a moment, and then said seriously, "Kick his ass."

"Yes, sir." I grinned, then I was off.

Vlad was suffering. Because he had the Specter Reflector stuck on him, he couldn't turn ghost without being constantly electrocuted and weakened. This wouldn't have been a problem if he didn't have a bullet lodged in his side. Grimacing through the pain, Vlad had one hand clutched around the orb and his other hand firmly pressed against his badly bleeding side. Sitting forlornly on the sloped ground and leaking crimson fluid, the man could barely muster up a shield to block me as I flew up and landed a yard away from him.

"First my foot, and now my side," Vlad said with a raspy chuckle. His face was drained of all color as he sneered, "Maybe one day you'll work up to shooting me in the head."

"Just give me the orb, fruitloop," I spat back.

Vlad stared solemnly at me for a second, his face and eyes tired. All the fighting was tearing away at him. In that moment, Vlad looked older than he really was. Every gray hair stood out; every wrinkle in his face seemingly more pronounced and elongated. This was the side of Vlad I hardly ever stopped to look at: a lonely old man.

For the first time ever, though, I didn't really feel sorry for Vlad and his wretched, friendless state. He had brought it upon himself. But at least this fight was going to be easier than expected with him so pathetic. From the looks of it, Vlad was in no shape to fight me or anyone.

Then I saw his flicker of a sly smile.

Eyes widening in realization, I spun around when I should have flown out of there while I still had the chance. Vlad's pink ectoplasm shield hurled into me from behind, knocking me off my feet and sending me toward the man. Head hitting the rugged ground first, I was too jolted to get up right away. That's all the time Vlad needed as he sprang to his feet, seized one of my wrists, and pinned it painfully behind my back. Shouting out in pain, I felt one of Vlad's knees dig into my back and press me into the sweltering cinder earth.

"Oh, you're not the only one with deceptive skills, Danny," Vlad smoothly said into my ear, as casual as ever as he shoved the orb into his pants pocket. "You should know that by now. Heaven's sake, boy, do stop your wiggling as I find that cursed key."

"Get of - ah!" I yelled as more pressure was applied to my arm. Groaning in agony, I ground my head against the floor. It felt like my arm was going to be popped out of its socket. I hated this!

Grinning, Vlad searched my pockets for the belt's key as I struggled under him. All I managed to do was whip up a cloud of ashy dust as Vlad easily found the key, unlocked and threw aside the Specter Reflector, and told me good-naturedly, "Do tell your idiot father for me that I rather despise his inventions. But no harm done, I suppose."

Dark rings now freely bursting across his body, Vlad turned ghost with a relieved sigh. Pain must have subsided from his bullet wound after the transformation. Using his free hand, Plasmius turned his hand intangible, plunged it into his bleeding green side, and yanked out the bullet with a small grunt of pain. He cast it away, thankful to be rid of it.

"Oh, no you don't," Vlad growled as he caught me trying to reach for my gun with my only free hand while he had been busy taking out the bullet. My fingers were just wrapping around it when Vlad grabbed the barrel and yanked the gun out of my reach. Throwing his arm back, Plasmius lobbed the pistol into the volcano for good measure.

"There you go," Vlad said conclusively. "You're weaponless at last, and your only power is flight. Now to find your inept friend and dispose of him. Taj and Toushiro know too much about me to be left alive this time. You left the incompetent boy on the other side of the volcano, correct?" Vlad looked up and paused.

Suddenly, Taj came into view from behind Vlad with a massive rock in both his hands. Throwing his arms over his head, Taj slammed the boulder against the back of Vlad's head with a vicious battle yell. Crying out in pain, Vlad slumped forward and onto me. Grip on me loosened, I took my chance to crawl away from Vlad.

"Come on! Quickly!" Taj grabbed one of my hands and tried to pull me to my feet.

"Thanks!" I gasped.

Shaking his head dizzily, Vlad rapidly got over the blow with a grimace. Before I was even on both my feet, Vlad got to his, wrapped an arm around my neck, and blasted Taj with a ball of ecto energy straight in the chest. Taj went sailing backwards with a yelp, landing heavily on his back a few yards away from us. He uttered a moan of pain as he skidded to a stop, but he didn't get back up. At least he was still alive, but not for long if Vlad had his way.

"That unprofitable boy has gotten on my last nerve," Vlad muttered as he started toward Taj, dragging me in tow as if I was simply nonessential luggage.

"No! Lemme go!" I screamed as I struggled in Vlad's relentless grip. I could hardly breathe, let alone shout a desperate warning for my friend. "Taj! You've got to get up! _Get up!_"

When it was clear that none of my wiggling and shouting was going to do me any good, I brought up my watch to switch to another power. Vlad spotted my stupidly obvious move and cursed in exasperation. Stopping to deal with me first, Vlad let my neck go, snatched up my wrist with the watch, and lifted me by that wrist off the ground. Doing anything I could to go down swinging, I lashed out at Vlad with my legs. He either dodged my kicks or swatted my legs to the side. Even with half his strength, Plasmius was still powerful enough to handle me like a lame puppy.

"Let's see if this doesn't calm you down," Vlad said before releasing his electric power on me. Volts of electricity coursed through my body, seizing every muscle and constricting it into a knot of agony. Even after Vlad was done with me, my body felt tight and searing warm, especially my arm with the watch on it.

Dancing on the edge of passing out from the overwhelming pain, Vlad unceremoniously let me go. I dropped like a heavy sack of potatoes to the ground and rolled onto my back, gasping erratically. Forced to stare up at the blue sky and clouds above, their peacefulness didn't do a thing to soothe my hurting body. Just kinda made me jealous.

My ribs throbbed as if my entire side was one fire and breaking apart. My muscles were bunched and cramping, like some sailor was tying and knotting them together for sick fun. My arm with the watch felt like knives were being stabbed constantly into it. This was too much! Felt like I was dying! Tears of physical pain and frustration fogged my vision of the sky. I couldn't keep lying there, gasping like a dying fish. So much stuff still needed to be done, but I didn't have the strength. But maybe...the watch. Could I withstand another power switch? I had to try.

"Get up!" I whispered hoarsely to myself, squeezing my eyes shut to block out the pain. I could do this! Just needed to focus. "Damn it! Just get up!"

Fighting for every ragged breath, I lifted my arm with the watch on it so I could change powers. Through my fuzzy vision, I saw something had changed in my watch's face. It was still sparking as if malfunctioning, and the face alternatively displayed a red padlock that was breaking apart and a warning sign. What did _that_ mean? Didn't matter. I was going to take the only chance I got at winning...or at least in stalling Vlad.

Straining to concentrate, I spun the unlocking combination for one last time before pressing in the watch face. The sparks stops with a weak sputter, but there was no pain. No pinpricks up my arm like every other switch. No surge of power. No nothing. In a sudden rush, I realized Vlad's electric shock had broken the watch completely.

No! Not now! This couldn't be happening!

Vlad leaned into my line of sight. His face was empty of emotion as he assessed my weakened and miserable condition. Neither was he pleased nor upset to see me fighting for each pain-ridden breath. In a way, he was almost disappointed with me and my less than impressive last stand. It was obvious to both of us I'd lost. Miserably.

Stoically dispassionate, he told me, "When I'm finished with Taj, I'll come back for you." He seemed to wait for one of my sarcastic comebacks, but I could hardly gulp down air fast enough to tell him to go jump into the volcano's lake. Pausing one last time, Vlad managed a small smirk as his last spiteful dig before leaving me to kill Taj.

Come on! I couldn't give up now. I didn't give up all those other times when it looked pretty hopeless. Granted, those times weren't as severe as this one, but I wasn't about to sit back, close my eyes, and call it quits as Vlad went and murdered my friend. So once again, I forced myself to think. And just so everyone knows, that's really hard to do when you feel like you're freaking dying.

Through the thick fog of pain, irritation, and fear in my head, I managed to stumble across a single thought: the stupid watch. I could fix this. The watch was totally broken, so that meant I wasn't entirely attached to it anymore, right? This...this could be good!

With a surge of almost vicious last bit of energy, I wrapped my fingers around the watch's band and pulled as hard as I could. It didn't put up a fight this time, and I managed to shift it down my wrist just a fraction. A few particles of the band still clung to my skin like blood-sucking leeches, but I yanked them off with a grunt of exertion. My wrist felt raw. Blood ran down my arm. Still, I tugged and wrenched like a wild animal trying to free itself from a trap.

Finally, all my pain and hard work paid off as the watch slipped off my hand and fell onto my heaving chest. I couldn't believe it. For a second, I just stared in disbelief at the watch, waiting for myself to wake up and realize it was all some morbid dream and I was still under Vlad's control. Then I threw my head back, closed my eyes, and grinned.

"Going ghost," I whispered happily to myself.

White rings burst up and down my body, transforming me instantly into my ghostly alter-ego that teemed with unbridled energy. After being cooped up inside me for so long, my cold core was practically bursting with power. One of the best feelings. Ever.

Gradually, the pain in my side and wrist subsided, and my muscles relaxed. Releasing a steadying breath, I opened my eyes and got to my feet, facing Vlad. He must have heard my joyful but quiet battle cry, because he had paused only a foot away from where Taj was sorely stirring. Eyes wide and mouth agape with shock, Plasmius watched silently as I tossed his dumb watch aside as if it was nothing more than a dirty piece of garbage.

That's right, my glare told him. It was game on.

No time for useless conversation. Leaving my glare as my only warning for Vlad, I blasted at him with an explosion of speed. My fist made perfect connection with Vlad's face, and I was rightfully satisfied when the blow flung Vlad back a few yards before the coarse terrain roughly snatched him up, skidding him to a stop.

"You have no clue how much I wanted to do that," I muttered, gingerly flexing my fingers. My knuckled throbbed from the punch, but I didn't care. I felt good. No. Better than good. For one the first times since meeting the evil half ghost, I felt ready. I was ready to fight Vlad Plasmius and win.

Shooting me a deathly glare, Vlad decided to skip the witty banter as well as he flew back at me at lightning speed. After performing such a similar stunt on him, I kinda expected the move and had just enough time to block his punch but not his swift kick to my side afterwards.

Wincing from the dirty blow to my broken ribs, I stumbled to the side, but I stayed on my feet just long enough to catch Vlad's fist in both hands. My eyes turned completely blue, and in return Vlad's eyes widened with alarm. Ice covered his fist I still held, and it traveled up Vlad's arm at a distressing speed. To break my frosty hold before his entire body turned into a fruity popsicle, Vlad bent backward and brought up a leg. He planted a foot against my chest and pushed away with a burst of strength.

We forcibly separated with a shatter of ice. Righting myself in midair after being flung backward, I caught Vlad shaking bits of icicles and frost off his arm as if he had been contaminated. As he got over his chills, I let my power flow down my arms and collect in the palms of my hands before throwing a barrage of ectoplasm energy balls at Vlad. Simple wave of his hand was all it took to avoid my attack as he conjured a shield.

Okay, so blasting away wasn't gonna work on Vlad. I needed a plan. First, though, I had to prioritize. The most important thing here was that orb. Destroying it was at the top of the To-Do list. Then there was Taj. Had to protect him, of course. Hoped he was doing okay. Last, but not least, there was kicking Vlad's butt.

First, the orb. To get it back, I'd have to get close to Vlad. Risky move, but it was necessary. So without another thought, I flew at Vlad with fists ablaze. Vlad swiped my punch to the side as expected, so I went with the momentum as I spun sharply around and elbowed the man in the throat.

"Ack!" Vlad grimaced, but he wasn't stunned enough to accept my follow up roundhouse kick to the side of his head. Ready hands catching my foot, Vlad smirked at my expression of unease before he viciously yanked me forward by that leg and punched the bridge of my nose.

White, hot explosions flashed across my vision and tingled down my nose as I fell backwards headfirst onto the ground. Though my head spun as if it was caught in a snow globe shaken by a hyperactive toddler, I didn't need a doctor to tell me that my nose was broken. Swell. Just swell.

Skipping the part where he let me recoup or call him a fruitloop of some kind, Vlad hoisted me up by the same leg and slammed me brutally onto the ground like a wrestler in the ring. Releasing a moan of hurt, I listened listlessly as Vlad chuckled at my unmistakable discomfort.

"I hope that hurt, Daniel," he sneered. "You indisputably deserved it."

Flipping onto my back, I phased my ankle out of Vlad's hand and promptly kicked his shin. Thrown off balance, Vlad pitched forward. I flew up a few inches to meet him, driving my knee deep into his midsection with a little more gusto than necessary. What can I say? I was pretty upset about my nose feeling like someone shoved a screwdriver up it.

As Vlad leaned forward, gasping for breath, I flew up over his shoulder, reached into his back pocket, and stole the orb back for myself. Grinning in my small victory, I shot a foot out and planted a kick in between Vlad's shoulder blades. Unfortunately, Vlad had air back in his lungs and was deft enough to spin around after the kick and latch onto my ankle. Jerking to a stop in mid-flight, I looked back at Vlad with a fist of ectoplasm raised. Free hand sizzling with pink energy, Vlad had the same idea in mind. Before we could stop to think about it, we recklessly fired point blank at each other. Energy zapped around us, built up, and released in a concussion of sound and an outburst of fire and ectoplasm.

The explosion that ensued sent both Vlad and I reeling. Vlad shot backwards a few yards before rolling head over heels to a stop. By the time I came to a halt, I had skidded knee deep into the rocky ground and laid in a self-created crater. Somewhere along the line I'd lost the orb, but my senses were too jumbled for me to remember such a crucial fact. Head felt like it was in a fish bowl. Sounds were garbled and muted as someone ran up next to me.

Hands gripped my shoulder. Panicking, I grabbed the arms of who had me and tried to wrench myself free. A second later, my mind snapped briefly into place, and I realized that the hands were Taj's who was trying to get me to my feet, not Plasmius. My bad.

Worry and soot creased Taj's features as he continued to talk to me. His words sounded like they were being shoved through a grinder. I blinked in confusion. Frustration struck the boy's face. With a firm shake of my shoulder, he snapped me back into focus. In a roaring rush, all my senses returned to a harsh normal.

"-you hear me? Danny!" Taj was yelling at me.

Wincing, I answered weakly, "Yeah. Yeah, I can hear you, Taj. Keep it down, alright? My head feels like crap. Where's Vlad?"

"Over there," Taj said, pointing. "He looks winded, but he's getting up. Sorry to sound like a broken record, but where's the orb?"

All too late, brutal reality hit me. Closing my eyes, I cursed in annoyance. "Dropped it," I told Taj as he eased me to my feet. A wave of wooziness tried to overtake me, but Taj kept me upright.

"You got to find it," Taj said. Hanging onto my shoulder and arm as if to steady himself as well, he said frantically, "We have to find it, Danny! Oh, and I picked up that belt thing. Do you still have your pistol?"

Eyes raking the area for the orb, I asked absentmindedly, "Wait. What did you say?"

"We have to find the orb."

"No. No! The other thing."

"Um...do you have your pistol?"

"Jeez. No! The one in the _middle_!"

"Oh. I have that belt thing that Vlad took off. Next time be more specif-."

"That's the one!"

Taj sighed in irritation. In times of stress, it was hard for us to understand each other, but we had pulled it off before and were determined to do it again. "Care to explain?" he asked me evenly.

"Wait for it," I said, grinning. "A plan is coming."

"W-well, you better hurry," Taj said, his eyes pinned fearfully on something behind me. "Because Vlad is almost up. He doesn't look very happy."

Glancing at Vlad, I asked, "Fruit Bowl can wait. Where's the belt?"

"Right here," Taj said, raising the Specter Reflector up in one hand. "But I can't find the key for it. Why do you need - wait! Hey! Wh-what do you think you're you _doing_?"

Without his consent, I had taken the belt, wrapped it around Taj's waist, and clicked it into place. Hearing it lock securely, I smiled in satisfaction. Quickly, I told my bewildered friend, "This belt will prevent Vlad from touching you...and me, but that doesn't matter right now. What does is that you're safe as you find that orb. My job will be taking care of Vlad. Got that?"

"Y-yeah," Taj said shakily.

"Good," I said, turning to go. I took a step, looked back at the distressed Taj, and stopped to ask more seriously, "You okay, dude?"

"Yeah. Sorry, Danny. I'm just...just stressed," Taj answered, letting himself express a small smile. Pointing toward Vlad, he told me, "You better go."

I nodded and was off a second later, flying straight for Vlad with a ball of snow forming in between my palms. By the time I got close enough to hit the man, the ball had grown to the size of a bed. He tried. Really, he did, but Plasmius wasn't fast enough to evade the big mound of snow hurled at him at such a close range.

Snow chunks splattered into the air on impact. Vlad was forced to his back, uniform covered with snow. Landing on top of him, knees pinning his arms to his sides, I flung my fist back and took my perfect shot at slugging Vlad across the face.

Two punches to the face later, Vlad had had enough. Phasing his arms through me, Vlad aimed his palms at my chest and blasted me sky high. While I was still soaring into the air, Vlad bounded after me, caught up, and kicked me back down toward earth before I could get over my stun. With a shout of pain, I collided with the ground chest first. Yep. That hurt.

Head spinning, I heard Vlad land beside me, but he didn't attack right away. Pausing, the man growled under his breath in perplexity, "What on earth is that brat doing?"

On my hands and knees, I followed Vlad's gaze and figured he was questioning Taj's searching method of feverishly running around the steep, cumbersome volcano slope like a squirrel probing a backyard for its hidden nuts.

As Taj's actions dawned on Vlad, his eyebrows rose slightly upward. He stuck me with a cruel smile, saying, "You don't have the orb anymore, do you, boy? Oh, this is too easy."

Vlad shot toward Taj, but I wasn't going to let him touch my friend. Leaping after him, I grabbed the ghost's ankle to hold him there. Swearing in frustration, Vlad turned around to zap me with a fist full of ectoplasm. I swiftly brought up a shield with one hand, swiped the energy ball away, and then used the shield to clobber Vlad over the head. As he fell, I summed up my own green energy to help him fall faster and harder. My ray hit Vlad squarely in the chest, sending him deep into the earth.

That's what I think finally did it. Sitting in his own impression in the ground, clothes smoking green from his recent butt kicking session, and obviously humiliated by a punk ghost kid, something in Vlad snapped. He was probably sick of me. Whatever it was, when Vlad looked up at me, his red eyes were deadly serious. I could feel the cold intent in his stare as icy spiders tingled down my spine.

I boldly met that scathing glare with one of my own. Vlad needed to know I meant business. Then I did the one thing I knew that would set him off. I smirked.

Yeah. I felt like a total badass.

That feeling soon crumbled when Vlad flew straight for me. Losing my smirk, I did my best to avoid a head on attack from Vlad by blasting straight up, Plasmius seconds behind me. Woo, he was pissed!

I put on a small burst of speed before tucking in and flying straight downward for Vlad. Surprised by my sudden change of direction, the man put on his brakes and gathered some power in his hands. No need. I flew right through the man, spun around as I continued to fall, and fired a powerful ecto ray at Vlad from below.

Still dazed from my attack, Vlad swiped a hand through the air. Second later, a pink wall slammed into me from my right. Didn't see it coming. Like a freaking bus, it whacked mercilessly into me. I felt like a fly on a windshield. To top it off, when I finally rightened myself in midair, Vlad was right there to finish the headache process by roundhouse kicking me to the side of the head.

Throbbing head, broken nose, bloody wrist, and cracked ribs. They all kinda congealed together in the pot of pain. I was gonna feel them the next day, but at that moment they were just things I had taught myself to ignore.

Grimacing, I threw up a shield to block Vlad's punch and tried to kick him in the ribs. He caught my leg, but I didn't let him keep that hold as ice gathered around his hand. Quickly, he pulled his hand away. While he had been focused on that, I had taken the opportunity to create an impressive ball of ectoplasm in my hands. Just as he looked up, I fire it at his chest.

As he soared away from me, I told him, "That was for kidnapping me..._again_."

"Honestly, Daniel, you walked right into that kidnap," Vlad taunted. Second later, a barrage of ectoplasm was hurling toward me. Flying perilously forward, I weaved in and out of the bombardment, coming rapidly up on Vlad. Before he could block me, I threw up a leg and brought my heel down on Vlad's head.

"That was for completely lying to me about _everything_," I spat down at him.

It was prominent now that Vlad was severely weakened. First, there was the severe lack of comebacks. Second, he hadn't created a single clone of himself to assist in defeating me. Third, he was sweating profusely and laboring for breath. Guess he hadn't properly slept in two whole days, and I know he hadn't eaten for hours. While I had taken the time to chart out my Z's and meals because I always needed to be at my best when it came down to Vlad's games, Vlad had slacked off in that area due to the fact that he usually didn't need to. But I assume with a gaping hole in his human form's side, he was feeling pretty low at the moment.

Despite his lack of energy, Vlad launched himself at me in an almost last ditch effort to defeat me. I was too close and surprised by the brazen move to get out of the way. Hands like vices on my shoulders, Vlad steered me in a downward arch before plowing me into the ground. The force of the collision was so hard, it made a ripple effect with the earth like when a pebble plops into a pond. Just I was the hapless pebble and the pond water was replaced with hard, solid earth.

Unfortunately, Taj was just close enough to the impact to get caught up in the shifting terrain. I heard him give a short scream before letting out a shout of pain. My eyes widened in anxiety. No matter which way I turned my head, I couldn't find the guy.

My thoughts returned to the issue at hand when Vlad grinned wolfishly down at me and began to pour out his electric powers from his grip on my shoulders. My body seized up with pain, bringing me to the threshold of unconsciousness. Squeezing my eyes shut, I hung onto Vlad's arms as if lamely trying to push him off me as I rode out the agony.

Pausing his torture for a moment, Vlad leaned his head close to mine. Writhing with unexpected fear, I listened as Vlad told me, "I've got you right where I want you, Danny. Soon you'll be powerless. Then I'll kill your little friend Taj before finding Toushiro and finishing him off too. I'll find that orb and use its powers just as I planned. By the time you wake up after passing out, it will all be over. I might even be able to get another watch on you by that time."

He let his words sink in before adding lastly, "Then you'll belong to me."

Again the electric currents returned. Again the crippling pain and fear was restored. This couldn't be happening! There was no way I was going to experience this nightmare again!

Desperately, I hung onto staying awake as I gritted my teeth and summoned my own special power. Usually I carefully dip down into my cold core to bring my ice powers out, but this time there was less dipping and more ripping. I shoved it dauntlessly to the surface, making ice rush up my arms and down Vlad's in the process.

The pain stopped, but I didn't. Control slipped through my fingers. Ice continued to snake across my body, speedily encrusting my arms, torso, and moving onto my head. Though I was swiftly turning myself into a icicle, I managed to squeeze my feet between me and Vlad. With a grunt, I shoved the man off me, breaking off some of the ice as I did so. As he landed nearby, I tried to breathe calmly and regain control of my ice powers. Focus. Just had to focus and calm down.

In seconds, I had conquered the turning-myself-into-an-ice-cube problem, but I felt like complete crap. Tapping into the last bit of my strength and energy, I struggled to my feet. Just as wasted as me, Vlad did the same. We faced each other like two nemeses cowboys on the main dirt road, ready for the last few taunts and then the ultimate gun fight that would determine the fate of the whole town. How come it always came down to that last stand off between enemies?

The only difference between this stand off and others is the fact that I knew that I was gonna win this time. This was just the downhill ride which I had to carry out. Not like I was obligated, though. This was the part I'd been dreaming about since waking up with that dumb watch on my wrist. Vlad was finally going to get what he deserved.

Exchanging the banter for a steadying sigh, I rushed forward with a feint right punch. If he wasn't so weak, Vlad would have seen me coming. As he blocked for the fake move, I drove my other fist into his exposed wounded side, making sure it hurt.

"That was for making Taj's already crappy life a living hell lately," I hissed into Vlad's pain-filled face. Though I wanted to relish his agony, I simply couldn't. In a small way, I felt empty. This was simply business. I'd given Vlad plenty of chances. He had refused, so I'd have to take him down.

A sharp jab of the elbow to Vlad's chest. Backing away from me, Vlad could hardly breathe.

"For threatening everyone lives," I continued with the list.

He tried coming up with another shield, but I was already way ahead of him. A roundhouse kick to Vlad's head sent him sprawling to his hands and knees. Wheezing greedily for air, Vlad was forced to turn back human with a burst of black rings. After such a harrowing fight, Vlad's human form was even worse than before.

"For all the shit you put me through," I seethed into his ear.

Blood from Vlad's wound dribbled softly to the ground as he continued to gasp, a stunned and almost disbelieving look etched on his face. All these times he had easily beaten me, but now his plans were failing. Pride and greed had gotten in his way, made him overstep his bounds, and then had left him hanging. He was going to lose at his very own game. Vlad couldn't believe it.

Incredulous eyes looking up at me, Vlad choked out, "Daniel, we can-."

I didn't let him finish. Whatever it was he was going to say, I officially didn't care. He could have proclaimed that he had reformed from his evil ways and all that crap, but I was over with Vlad Masters. I was his no more.

My icy soul took over from there as I placed my palm on Vlad's forehead and flash froze him on the spot. With him being human, it would take him awhile to thaw out than if he was ghost. And with zero energy, it was going to take at least a day for Vlad to get out of there. I didn't wish him any luck.

"And that," I finished with an arduous sigh, "was for poisoning my cereal. Fruitloop."

Everything was finished. Done. Complete. I had done it. I had really done it! I had outsmarted and defeated Vlad! It was too crazy for me to believe. Suddenly becoming heavy with relief, I collapsed onto my butt and tried to absorb all that I had accomplished. I wanted to laugh, cry, shout, and sleep all at once, so I just sat there with a blank face for a full minute, never really coming to a conclusion with my emotions.

"Danny!"

Taj's call jolted me out of my state of disbelief. Perking up, I turned my head and saw Taj limping towards me. He was a horrible, grubby mess and looked like he fell down a chimney (and not in the Ho Ho Ho Santa Clause sorta way), but he was smiling like a lunatic as he noticed my victory and waved his own in the air. The orb was held firmly in his hand.

Failing the first time to get on my feet, I had to command my straining muscles to obey me as I tried a second time and stumble towards my friend. As we met up, I said, "You found the orb? That's awesome! What's not awesome is your foot. What happened, Taj?"

"I think I twisted it," Taj said, biting back a wince. "Back when Vlad slammed you into the ground...for like the second or third time. Well, I fell and it got caught in a crevice."

We fell silent as we stared at each other. Covered in bloody scars, sweat, and soot, we probably appeared pretty defeated and downtrodden to any onlooker. Add in my cracked ribs and swelling nose and Taj's twisted ankle, and it would seem we had just lost some bully fight. Ironically enough, though, the two of us couldn't be any happier. Inane smiles couldn't be wiped off our faces.

"We look like crap," I finally laughed.

"Indeed," Taj sighed. He glanced down at his ratty, dirty clothing and uttered a short chuckle at such an awful shape we were in. "A shower would be nice." His eyes stopped on the Specter Reflector, and he proceeded to dig into his back pocket, as if suddenly remembering something. When he pulled out the belt's key and began to unlock it, he asked me, "Why didn't you just put the belt back on Vlad? I noticed that you waited till he had turned back human before freezing him. Was that your goal the whole time?"

"The entire Vlad-as-a-popsicle thing came to me halfway through our fight. The last time I flash frozen him as a human, it took him a whole weekend to get out," I answered honestly, rubbing the back of my sore neck with a grimace. "But you and the orb came first, so I gave you the belt just incase I didn't make it."

"Oh," Taj said. An awkward, thankful smile flickered across his lips. "Well, thanks."

"Come on, dude," I said, slinging Taj's arm over my shoulders. "Let's get rid of this evil orb of doom so we can call it a day. I'll help you up to the top."

With Taj gratefully hanging onto me, we slowly made our ways up to the mouth of the volcano once more. Taj's ankle was really hurting, I could tell. He tried not to show it and never did he once complain, but with every step he uttered a sharp hiss. I felt bad, but there was nothing I could do but support him despite the fact I wanted to pass out with exhaustion.

Eventually, we made it the zenith point and glanced down into the burning lava pit while we pathetically gasped for breath. Motioning with my hand, I told Taj, "Lemme see the orb for a sec." Without a word, Taj passed it over to me. He watched as I expertly molded a thick, sturdy layer of ice around it with my powers to the point that I could hardly hold it.

"There you go," I panted. "Now it's heavy enough to sink in the lava when we throw it in."

Taj actually laughed. I'd never seen him so steady and relaxed. Shaking his head in amusement, Taj helped me lift the orb up. "Here we go," he whispered to himself in subtle excitement.

"Ready?" I asked.

Nodding, Taj answered, "Y-yeah."

Between us, we swung the iced-up orb back and forth. On the third swing, we released the orb and watched it soar into the volcano's mouth. It plummeted for another second before splashing into the lava and sinking with a horrible hiss. I waited an extra second before pumping my fist in victory.

"Oh yeah!" I shouted, raising both fists into the air. When I spotted Taj looking at me oddly, I calmed down and explained, "Uh, just thought it was necessary. We kinda just kicked Vlad's evil butt and saved the future from turning into zombies. That's a good thing in my book."

"It is," Taj agreed, nodding slowly. He allowed himself a small smirk as he continued, "But I thought you'd have more vigor to it, you being the overconfident superhero and all. For example." He paused here to compose himself before throwing both hands in the air and shouting loudly, "Woo! We won! Yeah!"

Laughing even with my side hurting, I mimicked his obnoxiously triumphant shouting, and we even did a lame high five to top it all off. I felt like a dork, but that was probably the fun part about it. And to finally see Taj cut loose and laugh was all too worth it.

Then the ground started to rumble slightly.

Suddenly becoming mutes, Taj and I froze in horror while looking back down at the lava pool below. Slowly, the earth stopped vibrating and became completely still. Taj and I remained nervously motionless, afraid that any movement would trigger a volcanic explosion. We probably stood there for two whole minutes before doing or saying anything. Gulping anxiously, we shared a glance.

"I think it's time to leave," I said with a tense smile.

"A-agreed!"

A/N: Woo! This chapter is finally finished! Dang it. It's actually finished. That means next chapter is the last one. Sheesh. And that one I plan on being pretty long too, though I'm thinking of breaking it up into two chapters instead. I might just do that 'cause I don't want to go for two more weeks without updating and leaving you awesome people hanging. 'Cause you should know by now it's not over between Vlad and Danny. I think they need one more confrontation, don't you think? Yup.

Anyways, I hope I'll have enough motivation or time to update by next weekend. Due to hard times, I don't know if I'm flying off to university in CA on Wednesday yet. I might have to spend 6 months working in PA instead. I should know by Monday if I'm going or not...so either way, I might be too depressed or too busy to update. But since I'm splitting the chapter up, I should be able to post. I'll try my best. Please pray.

Hopefully, I'll see you guys next week! Later!


	33. Chapter 33 Dealing with Goodbyes

A/N: Yup. It's late. Really late! Like always. I'm beginning to wonder if I ever got stuff in on time for this fic. Oh well. It's almost over now, so why fuss? Anyways, there's this chapter and the next one which wraps everything up and gives itself to you readers like it's a Christmas present...though it's not Christmas. I had fun writing this chapter. It's nice to tie up the lose ends, though sad to see it go. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Don't own any Danny Phantom characters. Everything else is mine.

Previously In Incommunicado: Lots happened, but basically Danny kicked Vlad's butt finally in a nice little battle/showdown between the two on the volcano. Pretty epic. Taj twisted his ankle in the whole mess, but he and Danny were able to throw the orb into the volcano. There was a slight rumble which scared the two, so they decided to leave.

Chapter 33 Dealing with Goodbyes

Getting back to the ranch. Now that was the hard part. By the time I took down Vlad and helped throw the orb of doom into the volcano with Taj, I had exhausted all my energy and about half my motivation. Fighting to keep awake and in ghost form, I took the flight back to the ranch house extremely slow. By the time we touched down, it was late in the afternoon and all I wanted to do was swallow an entire bottle of painkiller pills, turn up the AC, and collapse onto a bed out of sheer fatigue. Worn out was an understatement.

"You know," I panted as we finally landed outside the ranch house's back door, "I'd phase us through the ceiling any other time. But I think I'd pass out."

With no more threats in our future, I finally changed back to human form. Thanks to my ghost powers, the burn in my side had died down to just a dull throb. It still hurt, but it was manageable.

Hanging onto me for support as we entered the kitchen, Taj managed a smile. His face was practically green from the long flight, but he was in a good mood. "That's okay, Danny," he said. "I feel the same as you. All I want is a shower, a long nap, and an ice pack for this ankle."

"Yeah. Saving the day from eternal doom and gloom can zap your energy like that," I muttered, preoccupied with looking for Toushiro. He was to meet us at the ranch house, but the building was eerily quiet. My suspicion radar was starting to go off as Taj and I shuffled down the hallway toward the living room.

"Where is Toushiro?" Taj suddenly asked. Our minds were on the same wavelength. "Do you think he made it back...yet?"

Just as he was finishing the question, we had arrived in the living room. That's when I found out why the house had been so silent. Some people had been patiently waiting for us.

"Oh," was all Taj could utter in his surprise.

"Yeah," I answered Taj with a tired, frustrated sigh. "I think he made it back."

The entire hired gang was there in the living room, guns drawn and frowns placed on their muddy, scar-ridden faces. Looked like they had been through hell and back. Toushiro sat on a couch facing us, securely cuffed and strung up like a pig ready for slaughter. He looked a little peeved, but he'd quickly get over it. Diego had his pistol aimed at Toushiro's temple, a calm yet dark storm cloud hovering over the caught man.

Nobody looked happy. Crap.

"What is this?" I spoke up after a long pause of awkward silence.

"Where is my employer?" Diego asked, his voice like cold steel. I winced at the harsh tone. Boy, he was serious.

"I left him as an ice cube back on the volcano," I answered, becoming angry all of the sudden. All I had wanted was a hour or two of rest. This was the last thing I needed! "He's not coming back anytime soon. Unless someone wants to hike up there with a hairdryer and blow dry him out of his icicle state."

Diego's eyebrows furrowed together. His men were starting to nervously shift around. Their sense of confidence was wavering and waning as they shared restless glances with each other. Only Diego stayed calm and collected. His men saw what I could do, though. They knew what I was capable of, and they weren't sure if they wanted to mess with me. With their powerful employer obviously gone, there wasn't much they could do if I decided to attack them. Some of them were even sweating in their anxiety. Poor guys. They never signed up for this crap.

"You will do exactly as I say until my employer returns," Diego said stoically. His dark eyes never faltered from their stare on me, and his hand aiming the pistol at Toushiro's head never quavered. He wanted me to see that he was fully prepared to shoot the man if I didn't obey. That didn't mean I fell for his bluff. After being forced to read the man for a week, I knew his guarded expression.

"You're joking," I growled.

"No. I'm not. You will do as I say, and none of your tricks, Danny," Diego told me, "Or I'm afraid I'll have to kill your friend."

"No you won't," I jeered. Despite Taj's protests, I lugged him to a nearby couch and deposited him there. He needed to get off that ankle, and I was afraid I was going to drop him from my dwindling strength.

"Don't move, Danny," Diego commanded sternly.

"Or what? What will you do? You won't shoot Toushiro. You may want to, but you won't. Because the second you do shoot him," I explained with a cruel smile, "I'll be free to leave with Taj, but not before seriously beating all your sorry butts."

"I'm _serious_."

"Then you'll have to explain to your already pissed off boss how you lost all of us," I continued without heed. "Think he'll pay you what he promised when he arrives to an empty house? No. Not very much, huh? Oh, I hit that on the mark, didn't I?"

I felt kinda bad in a way for spelling it out to Diego in a manipulative, high-and-mighty sort of fashion, but I was done behaving like a doormat for this man. Pleading with him or obeying his every command weren't options for me. If he wanted to do something stupid and reckless, it wouldn't be my fault. He was responsible for his own actions, so I was just plainly showing him what the consequences could be.

The room fell deadly silent. Diego continued to glare at me. Hands folded in front of my chest, I gave Diego an almost uncaring stare, as if saying he would be an idiot to even think about pulling the trigger. Taj kept looking back and forth between me and Diego, forehead creased with worry. From his mute spot on the couch, Toushiro watched me with a grin, impressed with my actions. Diego's men started to sweat some more. They didn't know much English, but they knew enough to understand things weren't going Diego's way.

Swearing in Spanish, Diego finally caved in to the pressure, sighed begrudgingly, and asked me, "What do you suggest we do then, _chico_? I'm not letting this man go until you give me and my men a better alternative. Too much trouble capturing him to let him go now."

All his men nodded in mute agreement. Apparently it had taken some hard work nabbing Toushiro. Even Toushiro nodded, almost in mockery of everyone else. Oddly enough, the man looked like he was having some fun now, as if knowing the threat to his life was gone. He was so cool.

"Well, if it's money you guys want, then I can get if for you," I told them. "You guys did your jobs. Really well, I have to add. Too well sometimes. Shooting me was a bit unnecessary. Anyways, how much does Vlad owe you, then?"

"Don't try to fool me, Danny," Diego sighed in frustration. "You do not have the money."

"Duh. Of course not! Even if I did, it's not like I'm gonna pay you for capturing me all those times, kicking my butt, and treating me like crap," I retorted. "It's gonna come from Vlad's pocket. Does he have any safes or anything he keeps his money in? I'm sure he has cash here. I bet he probably doesn't feel safe writing checks. It's easier to pay with cash, right? Doesn't leave a messy trail."

They looked at me like mindless cows. Diego even chewed his gum like it was cud.

"Ghost powers," I reminded them with some exasperation. "I could phase through the safes, get the money Vlad owes you, give it to everyone like it's Christmas and I'm Santa Clause, and then have all of you leave so I can finally pass out in peace. That sound good?"

"What about my employer?" Diego asked carefully.

"He'll be angry, but mostly it will be directed towards me," I stated. "He probably expects you to take the money and run in this case. Don't worry about him." Under my breath I added, "I have plans for him."

"And Vlad can't exactly call the police if you take the money, now can he?" Toushiro piped up. "We all know what he's been doing has been illegal. Masters doesn't want the police sniffing around in his business. That's why he hired you and your men in the first place."

"Exactly!" I exclaimed, grinning as it seemed to all click into place.

All we needed now was Diego's consent, which was inevitable. Money was the only reason why Diego signed up for the crazy job, and it was the promise of more money that kept him there. It might not have been the only reason by the end, but I didn't blame him for having a healthy respect and fear for Vlad and his capabilities. Only natural. Diego was a smart man for keeping himself and his men in the game for so long. Anything else could have killed them.

"Alright," Diego finally relented with a heavy sigh. "We take the money and leave. But I don't release Mr. Izumi until we have the money."

"Seems fair."

Diego ordered his men in Spanish to go upstairs and find where Vlad kept his money. A few minutes later the lot of them came down the stairs lugging a big, heavy safe. All of the men had to carry it down, and even then they were all huffing and puffing by the time they set the safe in front of me. They didn't have to carry the whole thing down, but I was grateful not to have to traverse the stairs in my state of exhaustion. Surely I would have conked out halfway up. Then where would we have been?

In the end, I stole the money from Vlad's safe, gave Diego and his men what they rightly deserved, and then told them to leave. It was the first time in my entire superhero career that I diffused a hostile situation by paying someone off. It was an odd experience. In some small way, I felt bad for using Vlad's own money because the principal behind it was wrong, but it was actually a very peaceful and almost fair way to end the day. Toushiro didn't get shot, Taj and I didn't become captured again, and Diego and his men got paid for their jobs and maybe even learned a lesson. Hopefully they would think twice about doing kidnapping business after this one. The only people who would suffer would be Vlad and his uncle, but even then it wouldn't be so much about the money than it would be about their popped and deflated pride.

As Diego and his men were leaving, Diego lagged behind in the back kitchen doorway to say his goodbyes to me. His dark gaze watched and followed his men as they packed up their vehicles to leave, pensively chewing his gum as if he was thinking about what he was going to say to me now that the adventure and his troubles were over. Leaning against the doorframe, I awkwardly waited while fighting to stay awake.

"Danny," Diego began, hands on his hips and eyes staring ahead, "you are a smart kid."

"Uh...thanks?" was all I could say. Sure, I somehow outsmarted Vlad in a freak accident of luck and willpower, but that wasn't going to change my school grades.

"You don't believe me," Diego said, a smile in his voice.

"Yeah, I can fight bad guys and save the day, but it's not like that's gonna help me pass my next English test," I muttered.

Diego chuckled, his shoulders bouncing slightly. With his job done and his boys packing things up, the man was allowed to bring his walls down. When he looked down at me, I saw something different in his eyes. There was something very human about that gaze that comforted me. Diego had hid his emotions very well around me and Vlad, but now that the barrier was down, I could see how much the man had been on my side. If things had gotten dicey, I don't think Diego would have seriously hurt me or my friends, even if ordered. The facade had been a protection for himself and his men against Vlad.

While I had been plotting my own freedom and win, Diego had cleverly devised his own plans in the background. The coldness that rolled off him these past few days toward me had been for everyone's protection, I suddenly realized.

There was a lot about Diego that I didn't know. I thought I had figured him out, but I had hardly scratched the surface. For some reason that didn't bother me. I liked not knowing. It gave Diego his privacy and made me a bit humble.

"I'm sorry for knocking you out," I blurted out. The random apology had bubbled out of my mouth, rushed out of me the second I guiltily thought of it. Diego stared at me expressionlessly. In a rush, I added, "And for giving you a lot of trouble. It's not your fault for it all. Vlad would have killed you all for quitting. I didn't really think about that till now. Sorry."

Finally, Diego broke out into a warm smile. I'd never seen him smile like that before. It was almost fatherly. I wondered if Diego had a family. Again, there was a lot I didn't know about the dude.

"You did what you had to do to survive," Diego told me. "I did the same. It was only a shame that it made us fight each other."

"Yeah," I said with a relieved sigh. "So...we're good?"

"Good?"

"Like, we're good with each other," I explained awkwardly, throwing my hands into the mix as if they would help me. "We're not fighting. We're...friends?"

"Friends."

"Yeah?"

Diego broke out into another amused smile. "You are a funny kid, Danny," he told me. Catching my look of confusion, he reassured me by saying, "Yes. We can be friends. But, hopefully, how do I say it...? No offense. I hope we do not see each other often."

His honesty caught me so off guard, I actually burst out laughing. "Are you saying I'm too much trouble?" I asked wryly.

Grinning, Diego answered, "Yes. My men's endurance was tested for this job. You were...a surprise. They aren't happy."

"Don't blame them."

By this time everything was stashed away in the truck beds or in SUV trunks. Diego's men were settling down in their vehicles and listlessly watching us from the dirt parking lot, waiting to leave with their leader. If they had been my age, they probably would have honked the horn to hurry us up in their impatience, but they thankfully remained adults. Both of us noticed their antsy actions.

Placing a hand lightly on my shoulder, Diego said down to me, "I must go now. But everything I said is true. You are stronger than you think. You never give up. It's a good quality."

"Thanks," I said with a sad smile. "That means a lot to me. You're pretty cool yourself, dude."

"_Que te cuides_, Danny," he told me. Flashing another smile, Diego patted my shoulder, gave a short wave, and walked off. I waved back and watched him go, not really sure what he had just said in Spanish. I'm pretty sure it wasn't a curse or anything. Didn't matter. In a few minutes him and his men were gone and I was officially done for the day.

Like a crashing wave enveloping me in an ocean, a surge of exhaustion hit me on my way back to the living room. No warning at all. It was like the relief of everything being done and finished opened the flood gates of tiredness. One moment I was using the kitchen island to prop me up as I walked by; the next, I was out cold. That bad.

My dreams were vivid and weird. Not evil or dark or anything but just a kaleidoscope of colors, funky images, fuzzy memories, and filled with people that had been on my mind lately. There were my parents waving goodbye to me as they drove away, Jazz reprimanding me about my powers and my lousy grades, Tucker and I battling each other on a video game about hunting margays, Perro the horse and Toushiro arguing with each other about volcano explosions, Sam and I discussing zombies with cups of cafe con leche, and Taj and I silently sitting by each other eating squirrels in the jungle.

But the one dream that stood out the most was one of Vlad and me. For once, we weren't fighting. It was just a blurry memory of him patching me up after a fight in Prague with a ghost hunter. I remember thinking of him as pretending to be a father. Then he glanced up at me, the look in his eyes totally human. Just as quickly as it had snuck up on me, the dream was over and I was whisked off to another segment of sleep.

When I woke up, it was just as quick as when I passed out. With a gasp, I jerked awake to unfamiliar surroundings. I was in the passenger seat of a car, jostled around in my seat from the bumpy ride down a pot hole filled road. Sitting up, I took everything in with wide eyes of fright. It was night and I was terribly disoriented. Where was I? How did I get there? How long had I been out?

The world spun chaotically. Feeling nauseous suddenly, I clawed at the seatbelt keeping me pinned to the seat as I gasped for air. Felt like I was gonna barf and have a panic attack all at the same time. Not fun.

"Whoa! Whoa! What's wrong? Calm down, Danny!" Toushiro practically shouted at me, jerking the SUV he was driving to a stop in the middle of the road. He took one look at me and understood. Grimacing, he unlocked my seatbelt for me and said, "Go! Go get some air, kid. Don't you dare puke in the car!"

Blundering out of the SUV, I took two steps before tumbling to my hands and knees and throwing up whatever had been left in my stomach...which wasn't much. But I felt better afterwards. The cool night jungle air sweeping into my lungs cleared my head slowly, and the tenseness ebbed its way out of my muscles as I pieced what had happened together. Sighing, I sat back on my butt to calm myself down.

"Hey, you alright?" Toushiro asked as he rounded the parked car. "Suffered from a little vertigo, didn't you?"

"Y-yeah," I answered groggily. "Where are we?"

"We're on our way back to Quito. There, we'll fly back to the States to drop you and Taj off," Toushiro said, kneeling beside me. "Your bags and Taj are in the back. He's been sleeping this entire time. Poor kid. Not sure what we're going to to with him yet."

"Don't worry too much. Taj can handle himself," I said, leaning against one of the car's tires. "He's cool like that. I'm glad he's getting the chance to sleep, though."

Toushiro watched me for a few seconds as I stared out into the dark jungle. At last, he asked me carefully, "Are you going to be okay, Danny?"

"Yeah," I answered quietly, "Yeah. I'll be fine."

"You sure?"

"I'm sure," I said, nodding. "I'm just... I just can't believe it's coming to an end. Still feels like I have more stuff that needs to be done, as if I could never be free, you know? I feel...traumatized almost? Like numb. Shell shocked, I guess. I don't know. I just feel different inside."

"It's the shock. That's for sure," Toushiro told me, grinning. "And you _are_ different. But in a good way, of course. You're simply growing." Getting back up and stretching, he said sleepily, "Come on, kiddo. Let's get you back in the car. I've had enough trying to council you to get you more confident in yourself. Sooner or latter I'm going to start sounding like Buddha, and we don't want that to happen. That's for sure."

As he pulled me to my feet, I laughed at the joke. Despite the shock, I felt happy.

A/N: Left it on a good note, I believe, but more has to be done. Vlad and Danny still need a little "talk". Anyways, thank you so much for all your reviews last chapter. I'm still working on answering all of 'em 'cause they were so good! I'll see you guys next weekend hopefully with the last chapter! Later!


	34. Chapter 34 Moving Forward

A/N: All I've got to say right now is that the reason why this chapter is a week late is 'cause I'm selfish. Sorry. I didn't want to give up this fan fiction so soon, so I hoarded the last chapter until finally deciding that I needed to let it go and be free. Goodness. This is hard. By the way, I'm still trying to answer reviews, and I'll answer all reviews from this chapter. Now, finally, enjoy the last chapter my wonderful readers!

Disclaimer: Never gets old. I don't own the Danny Phantom characters, folks.

Previously in Incommunicado: After defeating and freezing Vlad, Taj and Danny went back to the ranch house, only to find Toushiro captured by Diego and his gang. After a moment of finagling, Danny and Diego came to an agreement of settling their issues. The two say farewell to each other on good terms before Toushiro, Taj, and Danny head out for the capital, Quito.

Chapter 34 Moving Forward

It was a long and tiring journey getting back to the States, but at least we made it. Along the way we got Taj to a hospital to fix up his ankle and look into my cracked ribs. Taj left with a wrapped foot and crutches that we had to force him to use; I left with a free lollipop. Ended up my ghost powers took care of my ribs quickly, leaving my side a little sore for a few days but nothing more. It was the same with the cuts and scars. They vanished in due time.

The only injury that stuck with me was a light scar on my wrist from where I wrenched off the watch. It was a constant, bitter reminder of what had happened in Ecuador and what I'd gone through. I tried to ignore it, but sometimes I'd glance at it and be reminded of that horrible nightmare of being branded by Vlad. Every time that happened, the surprise would hit me so hard I'd have a cool shiver slither down my spine. Sometimes I couldn't help but feel I was branded by the man, not only physically but mentally as well. Couldn't lie to myself. Vlad had left his mark on me. Forever I'd be changed because of him. For better or worse? I couldn't tell at that moment. I just had to keep moving forward.

Once we made it back to the States, it was finally time for the trio to break up. Toushiro needed to get back to Japan and tell his boss about what happened with Taj and the group he was with. He also wanted to get back with his family that he missed and who needed him. I had to quickly fly back to Vlad's mansion as soon as possible because my parents were expected there the next day. Taj told us he needed to lay low for a few more months by himself and that he wanted to tie up some loose ends...whatever that meant.

That's how we all ended up at a train station in Georgia. For the most part the platform was deserted. A few stragglers were sitting on benches that were dotted around the concrete slab, waiting mutely for the next train. It was a beautiful summer day. You know how they are: blue skies, perfect temperature, sweet and mild breeze.

Taj seemed so out of place as he glanced timidly ahead along the empty train tracks. He fidgeted with his ticket, looking sad yet relieved at the same time. I had a vision of Taj taking many trains with that old nervous, forlorn look in his eyes. That look was gone now. I hadn't been the only one to change. Taj had grown too.

"Don't look so depressed, kid," Toushiro assured Taj as we joined him on the platform. "You'll be fine. You got your entire future ahead of you!"

"I know," Taj admitted with a shy smile. "It's just new. Very new. I've always had dark powers...ever since I was born. For as long as I can remember I've been on the run. Now those powers are gone and I won't have to run anymore. I never anticipated that."

"That's hard to believe," I muttered teasingly.

Toushiro laughed at the pretend glare Taj shot me. Quickly, though, he adopted a more serious face as he kneeled down to be at Taj's eye level. Fishing into his back pocket for his wallet, Toushiro told Taj, "Before you go, Taj, I want to tell you that I'm really glad to have met you. Like Danny over here, you're a good kid. I'm happy that you've been given this chance to start over, and I hope it takes you places. But to get you started, I want to help you out financially. You have a problem with that?"

Taj was speechless when Toushiro placed a debit card in the boy's hand. I don't think he had ever handled one before. He held it like it was a foreign alien specimen he didn't know exactly what to do with.

"That debit card should provide lodging, food, and clothing for you for a few weeks to help you get settled somewhere," Toushiro continued as Taj gaped like a goldfish. "Don't worry about using it all. My family is well off, and this is the least I could do to repay you for all the trouble my men and I put you through lately. I trust you to use it wisely. You're responsible."

"I wonder what it would take for you to give me one of those too," I said jokingly.

"You don't need one."

"I _could_ need one someday."

"You're not getting one, Danny."

"That's crap," I muttered with a grin.

Shaking his head in amusement, Toushiro returned his attention to Taj who was finally snapping out of his shock. The teen sniffed, trying to hide the fact that he was about to cry with gratefulness, as he told Toushiro in a wavering voice, "Thank you so much, Toushiro. This...this means so much. Thank you."

"No problem, kid," Toushiro said with a giant smile. The two gave each other a quick, awkward hug because of the crutches getting in the way. Standing back up to his full height, Toushiro glanced over to me, catching my look and its meaning. Like a natural, he told us, "Hey, how about I go get us all some food before you go? I'll be back soon." That said, Toushiro left us alone with his hands placed casually in his pockets.

"You know, you're welcome to visit me in Amity Park whenever you feel like," I told Taj. "You could even stay at my house. I could tell my parents we're pen-palls or something lame like that. They trust me more than they should."

"Thanks for the offer, but for the next few months I think I should lay low. Maybe I'll visit after all of this has blown over," Taj said. "And no offense, but I don't want to visit the same town Vlad Masters runs. I have a feeling he doesn't like me very much."

"Really? What makes you say that?" I said sarcastically. "Seriously, though, what are you going to do now?"

"What I've wanted but dreaded to do for years," Taj answered somberly. "I'm going to go visit my mom."

"Wow," I said, taken aback a little. "That's big. You sure you don't need help with that?"

Releasing a heavy sigh, Taj said, "I'm sure. I have to do this myself." After a short pause, he added with a weak smile, "And I want to visit Julie. I want to see her in real life for once."

"Sweet!" I exclaimed. "Say hi to her for me when you see her. Without her help, I'm not sure where we would be now."

"I will," Taj said. "Also, I want to settle down somewhere. I want to rent an actual apartment for once and have a real home. I'm going to get a real paying job, make money, and maybe even go to school. It's all so odd. I never dreamed of ever living a normal life. I'm almost in denial. I think I'm just in shock."

Laughing because he sounded exactly like me the night before, I told Taj, "Dude, it's the shock, but it will go away eventually. I know what you're going through. I still can't believe I actually survived and beat Vlad."

"What are you going to do about him?" Taj asked, anxiety suddenly flooding his features.

"Don't worry," I assured him. "Trust me, I'm not done with Vlad yet. But when I am, he won't be going after you anymore. Count on it. And if he does, then he's more a fruitloop than I thought."

There was a heavy pause between us as we came upon the inevitable: our goodbyes.

Taj seemed to be searching for words as his eyes lowered to the ground. I had no clue what to say. I felt so lame. All of the sudden, I wasn't quite sure what to do with my arms; they felt stupid and awkward. With horrible realization, it just then dawned on me that it was going to be a long time before I was going to see Taj again. Also, I was really, really going to miss him. Taj had become one of my best friends. I enjoyed his company more than I had realized it. Letting him leave so suddenly left me terribly sad inside.

Couldn't believe it when tears prickled my eyes. I could _not_ cry! Especially after all the crap I just gone through; this was nothing compared to it. It was so dumb!

"Danny," Taj finally said. Smiling meekly, he looked up into my face. "I...I don't know what to say. You-you're my best friend. I don't really want to l-leave, but I think I should. B-but we'll see each other s-some day. R-right?"

"I'll always be in Amity Park," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. Though it was annoying, I was gonna miss his nervous stuttering. "You know where to find me." Taj grinned, but I still added with a sniff, "Taj, I'm...I'm really gonna miss you."

Finally, I just decided to screw it. "Jeez, I feel like such a baby! Why does this always seem to happen around you? I swear I never do this around my other friends as much!" I said while wiping a tear away. "Why the _heck_ am I crying? You're rubbing off on me, dude! You should go before I start sobbing or something equally ridiculous."

Wiping his own tears out of his eyes with the back of his hand, Taj laughed a little. As if thinking it the same time, Taj and I went to hug each other. I must have looked like a complete retard when all I managed to wrap my arms around was air and stumble into nothing. Taj had vanished.

Standing alone on the platform, I blinked in surprise before sighing in aggravation. "I hate that stupid power of his," I complained in a grumble while folding my arms across my chest in a pout. "So untimely all the freaking time. Hope this trip to the future doesn't take long."

A minute later, Toushiro showed up with some soft pretzels. He strolled up beside me as he munched on his meal, looking around in wonder. "Where did Taj go?" he asked, handing me a pretzel. He noticed my sour look and added, "And why do you look so unhappy?"

"Taj just vanished...again," I explained, indicating with a sweep of my hand where Taj used to be standing. Shoving the food into my mouth, I continued, "He's been in the future for two minutes now. I hope he's okay." Before I even thought about it, I muttered, "I wish I could have gone with him."

Toushiro studied me for a moment before asking, "Do you really mean that?" Taj and I had told Toushiro recently where Taj went when he teleported, so he knew about the zombie future and knew about my hard times there.

"Yeah," I answered truthfully. "It's not so bad when you're with someone; when you're with Taj, I guess. I just hate leaving him so suddenly, you know?"

"Like you said the other night," Toushiro assured me, "Taj can handle himself. He wants to be alone for awhile. You should respect that. He'll be fine. And don't worry. You'll see him again someday."

"I know," I sighed, nodding glumly. "Still, it kinda sucks."

"Well, Taj better get back here soon," Toushiro said, leaning forward for a better view of the tracks. "His train is almost here. How long has he been gone?"

"About six minutes now; six hours for him," I answered grimly.

It wasn't until the train was just slowing down at the platform that Taj reappeared. Toushiro jumped back, startled by the suddenness of Taj's magical appearing act. Seemingly frozen in place, Taj looked unblinkingly around for a second in bewilderment before relaxing. Soon as he caught his bearings, the teen broke out into a smile that consumed his entire face.

"Danny!" Taj shouted in excitement, turning toward me. "The future! It-it changed!"

"I thought that was the point of throwing the orb in the volcano in the first place," Toushiro pointed out with a wry smile.

"I know, b-but I didn't know it would be so...so drastic!" Taj exclaimed, wide eyes full of untold wonder. Focusing on me again, Taj told me in a thrilling rush, "There are no more zombies, Danny! None! I couldn't believe it at first."

"Taj."

"An-and there are buildings that are...I can't even describe them! And the cars! Well, they're not like cars you see now," Taj went on, oblivious to my interruption.

"Uh, Taj?"

"But you'll have to see it for yourself to believe it. I spent at least three hours just gawking and exploring!"

"_Ta-aj_?"

"There's so much! So much to do! It's amazing, really!"

"Taj!"

"W-what? What's the matter?"

"Your train!" I yelled, trying to knock some sense into my friend. Pointing to the stationed train, I told Taj, "It's here! And if you don't get on soon, you'll miss it and be late. You hear me?"

"Oh," Taj muttered as present reality hit him. He thought for a moment before saying, "But...the future...you...I-."

Grinning and shaking my head in amused frustration, I demanded a pen from Toushiro, used my greasy napkin from the pretzel to scribble a few addresses, and shoved both napkin and extra pretzel into Taj's arms. "That napkin has my home address and my email. Tell me everything later. Right now you have a train to catch and a mom to talk to. That's more important than chatting it up with me."

"Then what's the pretzel for?" Taj asked, flustered from so much exhilaration.

"For eating," I answered flatly.

"Oh. That would make sense, wouldn't it?"

"Don't just stand there, dude!" I laughed at my friend. Pushing him toward the train's entrance, I ordered, "Move! The train is about to leave. Go!"

"R-right!" Taj said, hurriedly jumping through the train's open doors. He turned around once inside and cumbersomely waved goodbye with all his things in hand. "I'll write!" he promised with a beaming smile. "And thank you! Both of you! For everything!" I'd never seen him so overwhelmingly happy. It was actually pretty hilarious.

Toushiro and I waved back and watched with chuckles as Taj kept talking even when the door closed on his face and we weren't able to hear him anymore. We kept waving until the train started up and sped away. Sighing dejectedly, I watched as the train traveled away into the distance until it finally disappeared for good.

When Toushiro placed his hand of console on my shoulder, I glanced up at him with a weak smile. There went one of my best companions. Now I had to say goodbye to a second. This was gonna really suck.

"Don't give me that hopeless look. You'll be fine too, kiddo," Toushiro said with a soft laugh, ruffling my hair. "Just promise me you won't get kidnapped by Masters again. The next time we meet, I don't want it to be me having to rescue your butt. Got that?"

"Sure. Got it," I chuckled.

Pressing my lips together, I tried thinking of words to describe what I was feeling. Nothing came to mind, though. Nothing would portray exactly how I felt at that moment. Giving up on words and going with actions, I surged forward and wrapped my arms tightly around Toushiro's chest. He stumbled back in surprise at first, but he soon hugged me back. "I'm really going to miss you, Toushiro," I whispered.

"Same here, Danny," Toushiro said gently. Stepping away from each other, he told me, "I know this might sound odd, but you're like a son to me."

"You're like the cool uncle I never had," I said, grinning. Toushiro laughed at this, but I soon added, "Seriously, dude! You're the only human I've seen stand up to Vlad with nothing but knives, inflict damage on him, and survive with hardly a scratch. That has to count for something. And you've always been so supportive of me."

"Well, when you say it like that, it makes me seem like a superhero or something," Toushiro said, adopting a proud, heroic pose with his hands on his hips.

"It does," I pointed out. Handing him back his pen, I pulled together enough courage to finally ask him, "Can I have your autograph?"

Laughing, he asked skeptically, "Are you serious?"

"Yeah."

Taken aback for a moment, Toushiro stared at me blankly. Then, with a chuckle, he shrugged, took the pen, and said happily, "What the hell? It's the least I could do." He scribbled out his name on an extra clean napkin in both English and in Japanese before handing it to me.

"Awesome."

"You should frame it."

"Oh, I will."

"Good. Now where's mine?"

"Hm?"

"I want my own autograph, kid, so whenever I need some extra cash I can just sell it on eBay. You'll be so famous in a few years, I might even become a millionaire with it!"

"Nice," I chuckled as I scratched out my superhero name on the last napkin. "It's not very pretty," I observed aloud as I handed the paper over to Toushiro. "I don't sign things often."

He glanced at it, smiled, and told me as he carefully folded and put the napkin in his pocket, "It's perfect." Gripping my shoulder, he told me seriously, "Keep moving forward, Danny. Don't ever give up. I don't need to transport into the future like Taj to know you're going to go far. You've already done so much."

All I could muster through a clog of emotions was a pathetic, "Thanks, Toushiro."

Saying goodbye to Toushiro was the hardest goodbye I'd ever experienced.

-Later-

Vlad's creepy big mansion was dark, cold, and unfeeling when the main entrance door swung open late that night. With lethargic, tired movements, Vlad twisted his keys out of the lock and pocketed them with a sigh. He quietly closed the door, ran a hand through his silver hair, and trudged with heavy suitcases in hand into his Packers decorated foyer. Obviously, the man had had a long, strenuous day. With a wince, he rubbed his sore neck after putting down his bags and moved toward a set of light switches on a nearby wall.

Before he got there, I took the initiative and flicked the lights on for him. Vlad froze, frown of disgust caught on his lips, but he wasn't surprised to see me.

In a split second, Vlad turned ghost. Only a step behind him, I lunged forward with one of Vlad's own inventions in hand. The Plasmius Maximus's two prongs hit Vlad right in the chest, instantly zapping the man and shorting out his ghost powers. Vlad gave a frustrated growl as he was forced back into human form and rendered useless for the next three hours.

With a grunt, I swung the device hard against the wall, destroying it in one powerful blow. With a sick wrench and twist of metals, the invention crumbled into dented pieces. Wires sputtered with dying life from the few forced cracks as I threw it aside. No way was I gonna keep that thing around with Vlad right next to me. Didn't want it getting used on me again. It would have ruined everything if I couldn't turn ghost at the moment.

"You really should put better security in your basement's lab," I told Vlad. "Anyone could get in there and use your stuff."

"What do you want, Daniel?" Vlad asked me evenly. Though his voice was calm, his fighting stance was tense and defensive. He was wary of me. Good.

"We're gonna have a little talk," I told him sternly. "A talk about us."

"Oh, please," Vlad scoffed, relaxing a bit as he flashed me a mocking smile. "Don't try to pretend to be in control, boy. You may have just won, but you know whatever you do to me now I'll only return to you ten fold when I'm stronger. And let's face it, Daniel, you won't kill me. Not at the moment, at least. Now, I'm tired. I'm going to bed. You should do the same."

In a flash of bright rings, I turned ghost, phased through Vlad's hand he brought up to block me, and captured in a firm grip a handful of the front of his shirt. In one swift, strong movement, I whipped Vlad up and around before slamming him hard into the wall and pinned him there. Vlad winced at the harsh impact, and the glare he stuck me with would have chilled my blood if I wasn't prepared to combat it with a flinty one of my own.

"No more smooth talk, Vlad," I growled into his face. "I'm not taking your crap anymore. Got that, dude? We're through. Permanently. Sure, go ahead and keep being your evil villain self all you want, but get the stupid notion out of your head that I will _ever_ be yours."

"This is all very big talk, dear boy, but can you back up anything that your saying?" Vlad asked me with a degrading kind of smirk. He was trying to piss me off. I didn't take the bait. "Because this is all rather frivolous if you don't."

"If you come after me, my family, my friends, or _anyone_ to get to me ever again, I won't only expose your ghost identity to the world," I seethed threateningly, "I'll _destroy_ you. All your pride, money, fame. I don't freaking care. Everything you treasure I'll eliminate until you have absolutely nothing left. Doesn't matter how long it takes. I'll bring you down. I'm serious, and you damn well know I mean it this time. I pulled the trigger once, and you know I'm capable of hurting you again. I'm not afraid to wipe you out of my life completely. Hell, I probably should do it all now, but I'm not like you. I don't go around ruining people's lives for my own benefit just because I can. So this is my first and only warning, Vlad: stay away from me."

Vlad stared down at me, his face expressionless to hide his true feelings. I sensed he was taking my words in as he studied me with narrowed eyes. This time, though, I didn't feel like a pawn in his calculating gaze. Vlad was observing me for the first time as if I was an actual opponent, an equally dangerous person as himself who he couldn't quite figure out. It bothered him. A lot. He hated not knowing what I was or how I would behave. Being quick, smart, and an evil genius was what he was known for and took great pride in. This being in the dark thing was new and annoying to him. It almost made him angry.

"I understand, Daniel," Vlad finally said, voice calm but cold.

"I don't freaking care if you understand or not," I spat back curtly. "I just want you to back off. I'm not your cute science experiment, your clone, your fun pet, your chess opponent, your _son_, or your piece of shitty artwork who you can mold into whatever you want. I'm my own person, and if you try to take that away from me again, I won't hold back on you anymore. So stay away. Are you going to do that?"

Lips pressing into a tight, pensive frown, Vlad glared at me for another moment before answering with frigid formality, "Let me think about it."

I had wanted and expected either a yes or no answer. Eyebrows raising in surprise, I realized that my ultimatum wasn't something Vlad could ponder through in only five minutes. Pursuing, molding, and manipulating me into his ideal sidekick/clone of some kind was something Vlad had devoted countless hours to. To decide to stop such behavior in a split second would be too drastic and out of character. Though I didn't like it, I knew Vlad needed time to mull it over. At least he was considering what I'd said. That small fact gave me hope.

"Okay," I said lamely. "You think about it."

"Now put me down," Vlad demanded.

"Oh. Yeah. Sorry," I mumbled, suddenly losing my imposing and stern attitude. Letting up on my hold, I let him gently slide down the wall until he was back on his feet. Quickly, as if expecting him to lash out at me, I stepped away from him to give the man his space. Steely eyes keeping themselves on me, Vlad straightened his clothing and brushed off invisible dust patches on his clothes as I uncomfortably rubbed the back of my neck.

"You should stop using that word," Vlad muttered, watching me carefully.

"Hm? What word?"

"Apologizing only makes you look weak. It's not helping your case right now."

Closing my eyes, I gave a depressing sigh. The man could be such a stubborn baby. Putting my hands on my hips, I told Vlad tiredly, "My parents are coming over for dinner tomorrow. Be ready for them by 5. Our cover story for being all incommunicado is a crashed reception tower and that we've been too busy to notice."

The only display of being impressed was a slight, subtle raise of Vlad's eyebrows. His eyes raked over me, his thoughts and mood secret. Though I was starting to figure him out, I could never quite read Vlad fully. Some small part of him would always remain a mystery to me.

"Very well, Daniel," Vlad said quietly, giving a small nod.

We fell into another unpleasant silence, not knowing what to say or do next. Nodding back to my enemy, I decided to leave him be by flying up through the ceiling and returning to my room. Settling on my comfy bed and turning back into my human form, I chewed anxiously on the inside my mouth while staring outside my dark window. As I sat, I thought about everything that had happened, all the good and painful memories of Japan and Ecuador that had brought me up to that point. Everything needed to be processed and remembered to a certain extent, and it was something to do while I watched and waited for the sun to finally rise.

I didn't sleep a wink that night.

The next day, I got up and made my own breakfast for myself in the dreadfully quiet house. Didn't hear a peep from Vlad. He was probably still sleeping all the way into the afternoon. I would have been doing the same, but it wasn't worth it to let my guard down. For all I knew, Vlad could be plotting something diabolical in his basement all day. I wouldn't know. So I stayed quiet and stuck to myself until my parents showed up.

Vlad and I were on our best behavior when mom and dad dropped in. They wore tans and smiles as they greeted us at the main entrance. Dad went on and on about all the ghosts they caught on the beaches at night, and mom shared a few details about having some time to finally relax and have a bit of vacation in the surf and sun. I was happy for them but also pretty jealous. When was the last time I got a real vacation?

Not so surprisingly, Vlad had fabricated brilliant lies and excuses for my parents' many pressing questions about not answering their messages and for ignoring them for a full two weeks. As if we were long time partners in deceit, I naturally went along with him and came up with my own convincing stories to placate the adults. My parents were easy ones to fool. Dad trusted and respected Vlad too much, and mom was too preoccupied with her recent work and vacation to pick up on a few hints of deception.

Although we worked and laughed together during the entire meal, Vlad and I never spoke directly to each other. It was just one false smile, nod, or look here and there as we ate our food. Near the end, I just couldn't take it anymore. I hated lying so much as if it was no big deal, especially to my parents. I needed a break. Some fresh air.

Hiding my disconcerted attitude, I excused myself by declaring I still needed to pack...which was actually true. Instead of going to my room, though, I went all the way up to the roof. I arrived just as the sun was beginning its grand descent. Exploding with a sigh, I plopped myself down on the edge and dangled my feet over the side like I had done just two weeks before.

So much had changed since then. Almost too much. And no matter what I did, I could never make it change back. I could never go back to how I was before. It almost scared me, yet at the same time it was exhilarating and exciting. So much was on my horizon! I just had to be bold enough to reach out and take it.

"Care for some dessert?"

I gave a small start. Like a stealthy ninja, Vlad has snuck up behind me. Turning my head, I saw the man standing there with two plates topped with pieces of expensive and richly dark chocolate cake. Offering a calm smile, Vlad waited patiently for my answer.

"Did you poison it?" I asked doubtfully, inclining my head to get a better look. I really wanted that cake.

"The thought of pulling that trick on you again did cross my mind, I admit, but I assure you it's safe."

"Then I accept your offer of deliciousness!"

Handing me the plate, Vlad added with a snarky smile, "Besides, the ploy was getting rather old. You always fall for it."

"Oh, you're so funny," I sneered teasingly before taking a giant bite of cake. Dang, it was good! The fruitloop had one heck of a chief working for him! Patting the space next to me, I told him with my mouth full, "Park it here, V-man."

Vlad joined me on the roof's ledge before taking a quick bite of his own piece of cake. For a nice, peaceful moment, the both of us didn't talk or think about each other as we watched the sun slowly dip into the horizon, splashing colors of pink and purple into the sky. It was a rare moment (and it wouldn't last long), but I would always remember how it felt to be sitting next to the man that quiet afternoon eating cake.

"You've done a lot of thinking lately, haven't you?" Vlad finally stated without glancing at me.

"Yeah. I hope you have too."

"I have."

"So what's your answer?"

Vlad paused, an inscrutable frown on his face. He set his plate of finished cake down beside him, leaned back on the palms of his hands, and then finally looked at me. I watched him as he told me seriously, "You do know this deal of yours only applies if you remain a superhero, don't you? You'll have to be on your guard constantly." Pointing at me, Vlad said with all honestly, "Because the moment you stumble, act up, or do something wrong in the slightest bit, I'll see that you're corruptible. I'll see that you really can be changed and molded into the person you most fear right now."

"That's not fair," I growled. "You're demanding me to be perfect. Nobody is perfect, Vlad. _You_ should know that by now."

"I don't expect you to be," Vlad said, intelligent eyes cutting through me and my sarcastic comment. "But I do expect you to uphold every weak, childish moral you believe so dearly in as you continue to be a superhero. Know that I'll be watching your every move. I'll be your hardest critic. Because the moment Danny Phantom makes a wrong step or a single immoral turn, our deal is off. Those are the conditions I demand if you want me to accept your offer. Understand?"

Glaring out over the landscape, I processed Vlad's terms and conditions. They were pretty steep. As a superhero, I'd have to come off as perfect. Then again, Vlad wasn't saying I had to win or save the day all the time. He was telling me I'd have to uphold my own ethics and morals while I fought the good fight. Running a hand through my hair, I begrudgingly saw that I it was better this way. Though he knew it or now, Vlad was going to keep me in check and in balance. Vlad was going to harshly keep me accountable for all my superhero actions. Still, wasn't like I could keep it up forever. I was still human...or part human or whatever. I was bound to make a mistake and slip up.

"You do know that your conditions makes it impossible for the deal to hold up forever," I pointed out, turning my eyes back to Vlad.

Placing his fingertips together, Vlad leaned forward and told me as if he was some all-knowing professor, "Think of the deal as more like a terms of temporary truce. You remain moral, I'll remain distant in your life; you break your own code, I'm free to bring your life into my future planning."

"You make it sound so simple," I grumbled sourly.

Vlad shrugged, going back to watching the sunset with an impassive, unreadable expression. "It's your choice," he said casually. Which meant I didn't have much of a choice. It was either include his crazy demands to the deal or go all the way back to square one. No way was I gonna let the latter happen. Not after all the crap I went through to establish some sort of freedom and safety in my life.

"Alright," I sighed. Returning my gaze to the blazing horizon, I felt a weight lift off my chest, followed by a rush of relief. "It's a deal," I told him with a small smile. For the moment, I felt completely free.

"That didn't take you very long to decide," Vlad stated with a grin. "I thought for sure you would argue much longer that that."

"I'm sick of arguing with you, Vlad," I said with brazen sincerity. Losing his smile, the man looked sideways at me with curiously plucking at his furrowed eyebrows. "You're a stubborn, old man," I continued without fear. "We could have argued for hours over the dumb thing, and you would never back down just because you didn't have or want to. Nothing I say anymore is gonna change your mind, so why bother?"

For a moment, Vlad was silent and thoughtful. Then, true to his character, his annoyingly superior smirk returned. "Who would have thought that you could mature so much in two weeks," Vlad said. "I see I've finally taught you something worthwhile. At least this last trip wasn't a complete disaster."

Wincing with a surge of anger, I had to refrain from commenting as I shot Vlad a venomous glare. Receiving it, Vlad's smirk turned into a grin. "Oh, your adorable anger problem still remains, I see," he said deridingly. "One day I'll have to fix that too."

"I'll tell you what's not fixable, Vlad, is your ugly face," I returned with a cruel smile.

Vlad and I shared competitive grins with each other. Felt good to be back in the familiar sparing ring with the old adversary again. Still, something was off. It wasn't the same as it used to be. While it was nice to return to our normal bickering and banter, I still held confusing emotions toward the man.

Noticing this, Vlad asked me inquisitively, "What's the matter now, Daniel?"

I just had to say it. I'd forever regret it if I didn't, and it was the best and maybe the only time to say it. So I finally flat out asked Vlad, "Why do you act so nice to me sometimes then mean other times? It's...confusing."

Vlad studied my face, reading it like it was an intriguing book. I didn't back away. Instead, I opened everything up for him. I wanted him to know this subject meant a lot to me. From the way his frown thinned slightly, I could tell he was trying to piece his emotions and words together correctly. He cared about this issue too, I realized.

"I've already told you," he answered, voice soft but serious. "We are the only half ghosts of this world. We have a bond, a connection that can't be broken or treated lightly. I...," he paused to either ponder or summon the courage before continuing. "I care about what happens to you, Danny. I care about your future."

I noticed how he refrained from saying he actually cared about me specifically. Still, I wanted to get to the bottom of this once and for all.

"Then how come you can't remain nice to me?" I asked, keeping all accusations out of my voice. Vlad opened his mouth, but I swiftly cut him off, saying plainly, "I mean, you know by now that I respond positively when you're kind. That's what makes me so confused around you sometimes, especially when you're that way. I know you've seen how I've reacted to your weird niceness. You could very easily use it against me, and you've already faked it to do just that.

"I'll admit it," I went on in a kind of rant, "I almost fell for the act this last time. Who am I kidding? I _did_ fall for it! If I hadn't been in the right place at the right time, things would have turned out much differently than it did back there."

Silent and still, Vlad watched me closely, all composed and in control of himself. I, on the other hand, had turned into a fidgety mess of nerves and emotions as I ran a hand through my hair and idly played with my fork on the empty plate in my lap. Heaving a heavy, laborious sigh, I plowed on and finished.

"Jeez, how do I say this? What I'm trying to say or ask or whatever is...if it-. I mean, if being nice works better than being mean to me...then...why not stick with it, you know? I hate to admit it, but...it works." Looking over at him, I said with open honestly, "When you're nice to me, Vlad, you actually are a pretty cool person."

And I left it at that.

Vlad stared at me for another minute before flashing a smile and saying with quiet resentment, "Well, Daniel, I wasn't expecting you to say something like _that_." Expressing a mild, restrained grin, I remained silent and let Vlad go on.

"I'm still human," Vlad said after another short pause. "Though I may want to come off as cold and standoffish toward you as I teach you all that I know, a part of me still understands the human side to the both of us. If I'm ever going to persuade you, I'll have to connect with you on a human, emotional level that you know and trust. That means I'll have to open up to you, sharing a bit of my personal life with you and in turn taking interest in yours. You understand?"

"So...it's a ploy?" I asked with a disbelieving grin. "You're nice to me _only_ because you think it will help mold me into a clone of you someday?"

"Not precisely," Vlad lightly argued. "Sometimes I surprise myself. There were times when I acted unexpectedly nice towards you without reason besides the fact that it was a normal human reaction."

"Leave it to you to make the entire thing sound like a psychology or science project," I muttered, successfully hiding my satisfaction. I didn't think Vlad was lying. He truly believed in what he had just said, and I'd already decided not to argue with the man. I just took it all in stride. If Vlad believed he was nice to me sometimes because it was a regular human reaction he couldn't control, then so be it. Vlad was my enemy, a very powerful enemy, for that matter. Getting a truthful answer out of him was all I needed, not a philosophical discussion.

"What? Were you expecting me to express some secret emotion of fatherly love towards you?" Vlad said teasingly.

"No," I chuckled.

"Or were you hoping that I'd somehow turn from all my evil ways and reveal that I have deep wells of goodness in me?" he asked over-dramatically.

Laughing at how absurd he made it sound, I told him, "I think you have just as much of a chance of converting to the good side than I have of becoming evil."

Making a face that was a mixture of confusion and offense, Vlad asked me with tilt of his head and an amused smile, "What is that supposed to mean?"

Locking my gaze with his, I lied with a sly grin, "A joke."

"Well, then. If that's the case," Vlad said, a vicious smile consuming his features. "I'm afraid I must tell you that I poisoned your cake after all."

Eyes wide from the rush of fear and rage that hit me in that revealing moment, my fists instinctively balled into fists as I shouted angrily at the crazy man, "Wh-what? Ug! I'm an _idiot_! What the _hell_, Vlad? Why would you-? Hey! Stop smiling creepily at me like that like you know everything! I'm _serious_!"

"I'm not."

"Huh?"

"A joke, Daniel."

"Fruitloop."

"Adults can make them too."

"I hate you."

"Don't be a sore loser," Vlad said smugly.

"I'm not the one who got their butt kicked and then got it _frozen_ on a volcano the other day," I retorted with intent to hurt. "Compared to that, yeah, I'm a great, big loser over here. I'm just oozing with loser-ness right now."

Closing his eyes and shaking his head, Vlad expressed an acrid smile as my comment hit its mark. "Oh, you're sarcasm," he said with a mirthless chuckle. "It never seems to fail you."

"And it never will," I promised.

Incommunicado

By: Pixiegirl13

A/N: Wow. I've got to say that this was the hardest fan fiction to let go so far. I've just spent so much time thinking about and cultivating the relationship between these two adversarial characters and continually making Danny grow into a smart, powerful, confident, and resourceful young man and superhero. Took two to three years, to be exact. That's a long time in my book.

And I'll admit I've followed and shared in Danny's journey. His voice has become a little bit of my own after writing for him for so long. Also, his experiences and emotions have unexpectedly fused with a few of my own. Almost being driven crazy, living in Peru (which is right next to Ecuador), discovering my own confidence and resourcefulness, and reaching out to pursue my crazy dreams despite the dangers. Ending this fan fic is like ending an entire chapter to my life. It's hard but exciting all at the same time.

Before I finish this fic, though, I must say that two things helped me finish this thing: you awesome readers and God. God gave me this gift of writing and has influenced so much of my life, so I want to give him the proper glory. But let's not forget how awesome you reviewers are! You guys have been encouraging, cheering, and helping me along since even before Powerless for some of you. I've got to say that you guys are the reason why I write. To hear how I've impacted your lives or just to know that you guys are enjoying my odd imagination brightens my day and keeps me going. I love you all! I just want to say that you guys are my supportive Toushiro, and I want ALL your autographs! Ha ha!

Yes, that was lame, but oh so true!

Now, one last announcement for you lovely readers before I officially leave. Future projects. I have 'em! My friend Mutantlover09 (the one who convinced me to write Incommunicado) and I have decided to do something fun, different, and challenging. We're presently writing a fan fic together in a format that requires us to only have control over certain characters. She will be writing for good 'ol sarcastic Danny, and I'll be controlling the notoriously awesome yet evil Vlad. So far, the plot and characters are fun and we haven't stumbled over any rough patches. Mutantlover09 and I are always on the same wavelength. If you guys enjoyed Vlad's and Danny's interactions in this fic, you guys are bound to like 'em in the one we're writing. We'll be uploading the first chapter sometime soon on my account, so look for it! The title is: The Collector.

That said, I'll respond to reviews as quickly as possible, I'm gonna really miss this fic, and I hope to see you readers soon! I'm officially out! Peace!


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